


My Platonic Reasons

by Hesesols



Series: Eclipse [1]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Grey's Anatomy Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Does this author have a medical degree?, F/M, Fluff and Humour, Friends to Lovers, Ichigo and Rukia are too dense for their own good, Implied Relationships, In this house we stan a Byakuya supportive of Ichiruki, In which everyone is an IR shipper and everything else is irrelevant, Medical dramas are what I live for though, Romance, Seattle Grace needs more sexy doctors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:28:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 90,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23896072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hesesols/pseuds/Hesesols
Summary: Rumour has it that resident doctor, Ichigo Kurosaki and best friend/authoress/heiress, Rukia Kuchiki are lovers. Rumour has it they're platonic best friends. Thetruth?Well the general public is just going to have to squint harder to figurethatone out.M-rated for later chapters.
Relationships: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques & Kurosaki Ichigo, Ishida Uryuu & Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki Byakuya & Kuchiki Rukia, Kuchiki Rukia & Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki Rukia & Shiba Kaien, Kuchiki Rukia/Kurosaki Ichigo, Kurosaki Ichigo & Kurosaki Isshin
Series: Eclipse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1757437
Comments: 104
Kudos: 94





	1. Prologue

.

.

.

****

**Prologue**

* * *

**Platonic love** is a chaste and strong type of love that is non-sexual (Example, a best friend). The term "platonic love" can also be referred to as a secret love or an unrequited love.

_**Amor platonicus**_ was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino. Platonic love in this original sense of the term is examined in Plato's dialogue the _Symposium_ , which has as its topic the subject of love or Eros generally.  


Of particular importance there are the ideas attributed to the prophetess Diotima, which present love as a means of ascent to contemplation of the divine.  


For Diotima, and for Plato generally, the most correct use of love of other human beings is to direct one's mind to love of divinity. In short, with genuine platonic love, the beautiful or lovely other person inspires the mind and the soul and directs one's attention to spiritual things.  


One proceeds from recognition of the beauty of another to appreciation of beauty as it exists apart from any individual, to consideration of divinity, the source of beauty, to love of divinity.

* * *

A **soul mate** is someone you have a very deep connection. It is not always easy explained. It is a meeting of mind, heart, body and soul on the highest of levels. Communication is at its easiest, as they understand you perfectly, and accept you completely with no judgments.

_It was said that once; Man, was a creature so mighty and magnificent that no feat was impossible to achieve. He had two heads, four arms and four legs; and his power great.  
  
Zeus, the Gods who grew wary of men however, could not find it within themselves to let men simply exist to challenge their own existence and power that only Gods wield. And so, men were split into two complete halves. Both with only one head, two arms and two legs; but yet these halves mourned the loss of their twin.  
  
A deep tug of emotional bond that transcends everything else held the halves in place as they began their search for each other. Henceforth, men shall wander the plains, wide and open; in search of their other halves as to which the soul may finally be complete and whole._

…  


> [Primeval man] could walk upright as men now do, backwards or forwards as he pleased, and he could also roll over and over at a great pace, turning on his four hands and four feet, eight in all, like tumblers going over and over with their legs in the air; this was when he wanted to run fast …
> 
> Terrible was their might and strength, and the thoughts of their hearts were great, and they made an attack upon the gods ... Doubt reigned in the celestial councils. 
> 
> Should they kill them and annihilate the race with thunderbolts, as they had done the giants, then there would be an end of the sacrifices and worship which men offered to them; but, on the other hand, the gods could not suffer their insolence to be unrestrained. 
> 
> At last, after a good deal of reflection, Zeus discovered a way. He said: 'I have a plan which will humble their pride and improve their manners; men shall continue to exist, but I will cut them in two and then they will be diminished in strength and increased in numbers; this will have the advantage of making them more profitable to us. 
> 
> They shall walk upright on two legs, and if they continue insolent and will not be quiet, I will split them again and they shall hop about on a single leg.'
> 
> —Aristophanes, Plato’s Symposium

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reposted from FF.net with major editing going on at the moment.  
> Follow me on Tumblr?


	2. I'll Be There For You

_~Rukia~_

Teasing him was fun because:  


A) He more or less deserved it.  
B) It was her duty as best friend to straighten him out.  
C) She was about to make a journey across town for him at 3 in the morning when she had less than 6 hours to hand in her weekly column. Of course she wasn’t going to go easy on him!  


The power of friendship?  


Go figure.  


* * *

**The Thing With Friends**

_By: Sode no Shirayuki_

In this world, we have friends and _best_ friends. The difference between the two is this- if you are upset, a friend comes up to you to give you a hug; your best friend on the other hand, shows up with a gun, and says to you "tell me who to shoot."

Okay, folks- jokes aside, but really answer me this: who is your best friend in the whole wide world? Some guys (or gals) said 'I married my best friend'- well congratulations to you both! But the real question I want to ask is the same question _Meg Ryan_ 's been asking since _'When Harry Met Sally'_ made its big screen debut: Can a guy and a gal ever simply be friends (best friends) without the big 'S' word in the middle?

Ladies and gentlemen, you have your views and yes, have no doubt that they do matter. But for yours truly, the answer has always been simple – read my lips 'Y-E-S'.

**Case no. 1: Shirayuki's best friend since college.**

'IK' as we shall call him, graduated in the same year as yours truly from the esteemed _Harvard University_. And yes, you might wonder; what is Shirayuki doing in Harvard if she's in journalism? Well, back then yours truly was majoring in Linguistics with 'Shakespearean Literature' as a minor.

Now, back to the story- receiving _'maxima cum laude'_ , it was really no surprise that IK was valedictorian whil-

* * *

**_~Backspace_ **

* * *

I was watching a rerun of my all-time favourite _'When Harry Met Sally'_ the other day when my so-called best friend/pain in the ass swooped down and changed it to _'Family Guy'_. Naturally I had refused to give him full reign over **my** _Netflix_ on **my** TV, so a tickle fight broke out. The details were irrelevant, but it wasn't long before I found myself playing the old '20 Questions' while we were wrestling for the remote control. 

Ichigo had asked me what my most memorable experience in college was. I told him that everything was the best experience I could ever have because I had a group of friends who I counted on to help me out of those sticky situations. 

Can you believe that jerk called me a 'dork' for giving- I quote 'the mushiest answer ever in the history of mushy lines'? 

And after so much I've done for him! Way to show your appreciation for your best friend, Ichigo! 

But that aside, the question I'm asking you this week is this: what happened to your best buds after graduation? 

Do you still pick up your phone and have their numbers on speed dials? 

Do you still hang out with them? 

Are you still living in the same area as them? 

I've never lost contact with my 'rat pack'. I am happy to say that till this day, I still have my close friends' numbers on speed dial. I hang out with them on special occasions that include birthdays and weekends. But most of all, I live in the same city as my best friend- Ichigo. 

* * *

____

**_~Backspace_ **

____

* * *

__Rukia Kuchiki groaned as her dainty fingers hit the 'backspace' on her laptop for the umpteenth time. Folding her arms together, she glared at the illuminative screen, huffing in pure frustration as she had once again failed to come up with her weekly column piece on time._ _

Bad grammar she could deal with, spelling mistakes were practically nonexistent in her line of work. But the pieces that she had been typing, backspacing and retyping again simply lacked one very important thing – _soul_. 

__And the lack of soul in her column just made her sad. No matter how many times she rewrote it, reread it- it simply didn't feel right._ _

__She leaned back against her comfortable armchair and squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to rearrange her thoughts, digging through bits and specks of random memory she had stored away- hoping to find something to serve as a source of inspiration._ _

* * *

_Think happy thoughts._  


_Think Chappy.  
_

_Think…  
_

* * *

_Urgh_ , who was she kidding? She had nothing- no inspiration, no idea, no drive at all! 

For once in her life, _the_ Rukia Kuchiki had run out of ideas and thoughts on how to start an article. The situation was worse than she thought. She rested her forehead against the cool surface of her mahogany worktable, willing herself to just breathe and relax. 

__Damn writer's block, she cursed as she buried her face in her hands. For the past week, she had been in the most severe state of writer's block she had ever experienced, so much so that her job as the most sought-after weekly columnist in the Seattle Times was being threatened by it. Ichigo might be on to something when he said that the reason behind her block had more to do with stress and dissatisfaction with the current interoffice political drama going on at her workplace than anything else._ _

The situation between her and her new editor-in-chief was _tense_. They couldn't agree on anything at all- from colour schemes over paneling to the topics of the column. Between his snide comments about how her work was more noise than substance and the baseless criticisms he gave for every single one of her ideas during group meetings, Rukia had just about had enough of that man. 

__Sooner or later, the two of them were going to have words and it would definitely be epic, right now though she needed to focus because as of now, she had 24 hours to complete her work. She cast a glance at the grandfather clock in her apartment and grimaced- scratch that, make it 6 hours._ _

__She realized that she had no choice but to come up with something. It might be crappy and of course not up to her impeccable standard of work, but it should put food on the table._ _

__Or at least, she hoped it would._ _

The last thing she wanted to do was to give her new boss ammunition on why she wasn't pulling her weight and fulfilling her responsibilities. She didn't need to give the man any more hints of weakness when he was already determined to run her into the ground and just _dying_ to replace her with someone else. 

.

. 

Without warning, her _iPhone_ started dancing to _Beethoven's 'Fur Elise'_. 

__She groaned at the interruption. Her day wasn't going well at all- first she couldn't get in touch with her inner muse and now, she forgot to switch off her cell. For all she knew, the day could only get even worse by ending with her dismissal from work._ _

__Cursing inwardly, she tried to ignore the vibrating phone lying oh-so innocently beside her laptop- taking slow breathing exercises and trying to count backwards from '10'. She flexed her muscles not once, but twice before doing some basic stretching exercises to smooth out the kinks on her back after the long hours of hunching over a laptop._ _

__The keyword of course being 'tried'._ _

__In the end, rationality and annoyance won out._ _

__She picked up her phone, switching it to 'loudspeaker' mode without bothering to glance at the caller ID._ _

__"Yo, Rukia."_ _

__She recognized his voice immediately. That idiot called- even when she had specifically told him not to._ _

__Didn't he know that she had a column to finish? And that she couldn't afford any distractions at all?_ _

__"What do you want, Ichigo!" she snapped._ _

__"Rukia! Is that any way for a Kuchiki to act and speak?"_ _

__She snorted loud enough for him to hear. "Oh gee I don't know, but I guess that's what happens when you call her at 3 o'clock in the morning! So could you just spit out what you want, my patience is running thin."_ _

__"Wow, grouchy much? Rukia, what's crawled up your midget ass this time?"_ _

__"Ichigo," she growled. "Call me 'midget' again and I swear I will end this call. Stop wasting my time and spit out what you want so I can go back to my writing!"_ _

__"Okay, okay. Relax- no need to scream. I'm not an old man you know?"_ _

__"Well you could have fooled me."_ _

__She sighed, holding the phone directly in front of her. Ichigo was a jerk at times, but he wasn't cruel- wouldn't intentionally interrupt her on her writing sessions unless there was an actual emergency, so the least that she could do was be a good friend and hear him out._ _

__But for whatever reason he decided to make the call, it had better be good!_ _

__"Come on, Ichigo. Get to the point. What is it this time?"_ _

__"I need a ride, Rukia. Come pick me up at Grace."_ _

"G-Grace, as in the _Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital_ , as in the _Seattle Grace_ where you work at," Rukia spluttered. 

__"The one and only."_ _

" _Jesus Christ_ ," she muttered under her breath as she sat upright. "You do know that I am currently having one of the worst cases of writer's block and that I have a column piece to finish in 6 hours if I want to keep my job, right?" 

__She bit her bottom lip. "What happened to your car?_ _

__"She's at the workshop. Urahara's fixing her some new tyres."_ _

__Rukia rolled her eyes- men, so typical. How a medical school valedictorian could graduate with full distinction without having any sense to check his own schedule with his mechanic was beyond her._ _

__Did he ever pause to consult his schedule before making any decisions at all?_ _

__Nope- definitely not._ _

Knowing that brash, stubborn orange-head friend of hers, he probably did everything on whim, which was yet another reason why it was always a pleasure for her to irk him by saying _'I told you so'_ \- well not exactly in those words, but the meaning was more or less the same. 

Her tone turned coy. 

__"Oh, I don't know, Ichigo. I did say that I have a column to finish, right? Why don't you ask the others? Ishida-san and Orihime work in the same hospital as you and Chad passes through that place every evening. I'm pretty sure either of them wouldn't mind giving you a ride?"_ _

__"Four-eyes's on a date with some chick called Nomy or something like that and Chad's in New York. He's not going to be back until next week. But then again, why am I wasting my breath here since you obviously knew that, Rukia?"_ _

__The corners of her lips curled upwards. Damn, he was good!_ _

__"How did you know that I kn-"_ _

"Oh _puh_ -lease, Rukia. Have some faith! This is your best friend since college on the phone with you! And let's not forget that I'm also the valedictorian of my year. Of course, I would've figured it out. I can read you with just a twitch of your eyebrows." 

__"Wow, egoistical much! It's a wonder you could still walk with such a big head on your shoulders."_ _

"Well, you know me. I'm _infallible_." 

"And just when I thought _Burj Khalifa_ was the tallest thing in existence. Don't you think that it's funny _Guinness World Record_ hasn't come knocking at your door?" replied Rukia dryly. 

"Oh _hearty har har_ , Rukia! And the lamest joke of the year goes to, drum rolls please, Rukia Kuchiki! Congratulations, Rukia! I bet even that Nomy chick of Uryuu's could tell funnier jokes than you could. I mean, she can't do any worse, right?" 

__"Her name is **Nemu** , Ichigo," she corrected. " **NE-MU** , not Nomy and she's Professor Kurotsuchi's daughter. You do remember that old coot, right?"_ _

__"How could I forget him? If I close my eyes and try hard enough, I can still smell the faint whiff of the legendary 'Rafflesia Ammonified Rotten Egg Concoction Special'- gives me nightmares and vomit urges. Uryuu sure had some guts to date the old nut case's daughter. But that aside, Rukia- stop changing the topic! Come and pick me up!"_ _

__She frowned._ _

__"Ichigo, what part of 'I'm busy', do you not comprehend? Do you honestly want me to end up on the streets, penniless and jobless?"_ _

__There were a few moments of silence before she heard him replying. His tone was as sarcastic and crude as ever whenever the conversation veered towards the direction of her brother. She never did understand the animosity between her brother and her best friend. They were like water and potassium- two components that did not bode well together and extremely volatile upon contact._ _

__It drove her to points of insanity when it came to dealing with both of them together._ _

__Why can't the two most important men in her life just get along happily?_ _

"Penniless, my ass! Your brother is Byakuya _fucking_ Kuchiki. CEO of _Kuchiki Corporations_ and _Senbonzakura Enterprise_ , ring any bells? Besides, you're a worldwide bestselling writer. How exactly can you be 'penniless', huh? Sometimes I don't even understand why you need that columnist job." 

"Ichigo, don't drag the column into this! And I told you, the column helps to keep my brain fresh with thinking up plots and stuff. And don't talk about Nii-sama like that! You know what? Why don't you just flag down a taxi or _Uber_?" 

__"And miss seeing your delightful face at 3 in the morning? 'Sides we can't all be made of money."_ _

__"Take the metro then," she offered, "Is that what it is- think you're too good for public transport now?"_ _

__"Rukiaaaaaa."_ _

__She ignored him, her thumb lingering on the 'end call' button. She had been more than kind considering the suggestions that she had given him. It certainly wasn't her fault if he was being picky and difficult._ _

__"Rukia, I can't get a ride from a taxi, the metro or any public transportation for the moment."_ _

__"..."_ _

__"Rukia, I left my wallet at home."_ _

__She couldn't help it- she burst out laughing! She laughed so hard that her sides hurt and tears were forming from the corner of her eyes. What a complete scatter-brain idiot!_ _

__She laughed even harder when she heard him growling._ _

__"Shut up! It's not funny, Rukia!"_ _

__Rukia tried holding in her spurts of laughter to no avail. Imagine the look of appall the Kuchiki elders will have if they saw her behaving in such an undignified manner on the phone!_ _

__"Rukia, you witch! Honestly, what was I thinking? Fine! Just don-"_ _

__"Hold it right there, Kurosaki. I never said anything about 'not coming' now, did I?" she teased._ _

__She smirked as she heard him growling and muttering angrily on the other line. He had it coming when he interrupted her on one of her cramming/writing sessions._ _

__"You are one very evil little midget, Rukia Kuchiki."_ _

__"And you-" came her reply as she slowly eased her frozen posture out of her comfortable armchair- "Ichigo Kurosaki are a very annoying and freakishly tall giant."_ _

__Rukia stretched lethargically as she made her way out the room. She wasn't making any progress anyway and at this point a mental break was long overdue._ _

" _Che_! It's not my fault that you're just so vertically-challenged!" 

__Her eyes narrowed. "Just so you know this petite or as you mentioned 'vertically-challenged' woman also happens to be your only ticket home. It would help if you could be a tad bit more supportive and cooperative."_ _

" _Touché_. Hey, can we stop by at _MacD_ drive through for some _Big Mac_ on the way home?" 

She yawned, slipping out her fuzzy PJs into a silk blouse and jeans. Was _MacDonald's_ still open at this godforsaken hour? She shrugged- she didn't know but his eating habits definitely weren't healthy. 

__"When was the last time you ate something?"_ _

__"Honestly, I don't know. Dinner was some sort of chocolate bar I swiped from Ishida. I was about to grab something from the cafeteria before I scored that awesome last-minute craniotomy with Derek that I just couldn't say no to- so maybe six hours ago? And obviously I can't do anything now without my wallet."_ _

__Rukia was horrified. "You need to take better care of yourself!"_ _

__She could hear him scoffing over the phone._ _

__"Speak for yourself! As if you don't skip meals when you're in the 'zone'."_ _

__"That's diff-"_ _

__"I call bullshit, Rukia. You forget- I've seen you in the middle of those sessions when you unintentionally starve yourself because you get too invested in the writing process!"_ _

__She rolled her eyes, tying her hair into a messy ponytail as she went looking for her car keys. "I do that maybe once a month. You skip meals multiple times a day, almost on a daily basis. This can't be healthy."_ _

__Hearing his chuckles on the other line made her eyes twitch. "You're such a mom friend, Rukia."_ _

__"I wouldn't have to if you took better care of yourself."_ _

" _Awwww_ , but you like taking care of me." 

__His comment made her snort._ _

__"In your dreams, Kurosaki! I'm only 27. I don't need to be saddled with the responsibility of taking care of you when I'm out here living my best life, you big man child. I'm only doing this so I don't have to tell Yuzu and Karin that I've failed them and let their idiotic older brother waste away from malnutrition when I see them the next time," she quipped, "do you have any idea how disappointed they would be with me?"_ _

__"Nah, in all honesty, they'll probably tell you I deserve it."_ _

__She laughed. Yuzu- aspiring nutritionist and domestic goddess-in-the-making- might be kind enough to actually hold her tongue, and then spend the next few days she was in town nagging his ear off about the importance of having a balanced meal with a busy work schedule like his. Karin though was a woman after Rukia's own heart and the younger twin pulled no punches. Between the three of them, teasing Ichigo was a sport that never grew old._ _

__"Duly noted. Are the twins coming over for summer break this year? I know Yuzu's got that internship and Karin's drowning under the stress of her final year project but I miss them."_ _

__"Maybe. We'll check with them. Yuzu's internship doesn't start till August and Karin's just being anal about her project- you know how she gets, a little break might actually be good for her."_ _

The line went static for a few seconds while she grabbed her _Jimmy Choo_ pumps, fanning herself as she struggled to put them on in the stifling summer heat. Mornings just weren't even remotely chilly at 3 o'clock in the morning and she hated it, absolutely hated the way sticky clothes were plastered to her skin and the annoying way her hair kept getting in her eye. 

__"Rukia?"_ _

__"What now, Ichigo?"_ _

__She huffed as she balanced the phone in one hand and struggled with her shoe straps on the other._ _

"Oh nothing important, Rukia. But can you just um… _God I feel like shooting myself_ , please hurry up! Senna's been giving me these very creepy looks. And you know they don't call her 'Cougar' for nothing, right?" 

__She rolled her eyes._ _

__"It's your ego talking. I'm sure that in reality Senna is actually a very nice person."_ _

__"Nice person, my foot Rukia! I've caught her lurking near the men's lockers with that creepy smile and don't even get me started about the times I caught her staring!"_ _

__"Staring at what exactly? You? Gosh, you're right, Ichigo! She is demented. How can anybody in this entire universe stare at you and not get a migraine from your colourful hair?"_ _

__"Rukia, as your best friend and doctor, I seriously suggest you cut down the sarcasm level. Besides, she's not just demented. She's freaking loony. And I'm not the only one who's notice that she's daydreaming a lot while staring at me, or rather more specifically my butt."_ _

__She froze- one shoe on while the other hung by the strap from her right hand grip._ _

__"Wait- you're telling me that she stalks you and frequently has naughty thoughts going on inside her mind about your butt! I thought Orihime was kidding when she told me Senna has **OCDYMDS**."_ _

__"It gets worse, Rukia. Trust me, a hell lot worse. By the way, what is **OCDYMDS**?"_ _

" **O** bsessive **C** ougar-like **D** isorder towards **Y** oung **M** ale **D** octors **S** yndrome," she replied without skipping a beat. 

"Well, that makes sense. I'm telling y- _Oh shit_ , here she comes. **Rukiaaaa!** " 

She groaned. "I'll see what I can do," she said before ending the call. 

Slipping the sleek phone into her jeans pocket, she slid her left foot impatiently out of her expensive _Jimmy Choo_ , and donned on a pair of green flip flops before rushing out of her apartment, almost forgetting to lock the door in her haste to get into her car. 

__Honestly the things that she'd do and the lengths that she'd go to save that too-dense-for-his-own-good Strawberry from the jaws of his hungry, rabid fangirls!_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn’t Seattle Grace Mercy West a **GREY** -at place to work at?


	3. Sunday Morning

_~Ichigo~_

He was going to the stupid Chappy Convention because: 

A) She forced him into it.  
B) Saying 'no' to her was harder than saying 'no' to a puppy. And no, that did not mean that he found her cute, but rather she had trouble interpreting his words. 'No' somehow always = 'Yes'  
C) What kind of friend would he be if he didn't accompany her? If she was going to go hyper on Chappy and make a complete fool of herself, you can bet your ass that he's going to be the one with the camera and snapping the photos!  


So there! 

* * *

_Ichigo._

* * *

His sleeping senses stirred as something akin to a nudge was felt on his shoulders and the sound of someone calling his name invaded his ears. Something inside of him was jolted awake by the sound- not enough to keep him completely awake, but there was enough jolts to power his brain to actually start thinking.

And that was exactly the last thing on his mind right now. For crying out loud, he barely scraped through the agonizing 8 hours he spent on his night shift! Even though by now he's supposed to be a third year surgical resident and practically a veteran in the 'staying awake the whole damn night' business, truth was- a man needed his beauty sleep.

So for God's sake, just let him sleep!

He rolled to his side; hating that evil voice that separated him from his dreams by the minute as he clamped a pillow around his ears.It was just too noisy and too early for him. Was the stupid radio on again?

He frowned.

Where's the goddamned 'snooze' button?

* * *

_  
Ichigo!  
_

_Ichigo!_

_Wake up! You oaf!  
_

_I said 'wake up'!  
_

_**Ichigo Kurosaki!** _

* * *

There it was again.

He frowned. Somehow that voice sounded awfully familiar. And just where exactly had he heard it before? 

A hard jab caught him in his chest, causing him to double over spluttering for air. Wide awake while gasping for air, he carefully shied his amber eyes away from the sunlight streaming from the open window before he struggled to focus the bleary sight of the newcomer against the strong glares of the morning sun. 

The moment his vision cleared, he found himself lying on his plush bed in his tastefully decorated bachelor pad and was currently left under the wrathful gaze of his favourite raven-head in all her 4'9" glory, glaring daggers at him, as if he was a monster who ate kitties and children for breakfast. 

He gulped. If looks could kill, then Ichigo was pretty sure Rukia Kuchiki was a woman behind bars and he, the poor soul lying six feet under with a piece of stone tablet that read 'R.I.P.'. 

He scowled, trying best to rein in his coughing fit. 

The warmth and heat of the morning sun danced on naked skin as he propped himself upwards to lean against the headboard. He averted his eyes from the light and instead focused them on his best friend. Just what was that all about? 

"G.. _cough_.. G.. _cough_ …Good God, you vicious she-devil! What were you trying to do? Murder me in my sleep?" he asked incredulously while patting his chest viciously. 

Her pretty little nose was held high, impressively ignoring his loud remarks. From the corner of her sooty dark eyelashes, she glared at him. A searing pair of hot coals that burnt upon contact held him astounded and utterly bewildered. 

"Do you even know what the time is!" she screeched. Her arms flailing about in a dramatic way as she made flying gestures amidst her tirade. 

He yawned but was wise enough to do it discreetly. 

What exactly was she up to? In the span of merely minutes talking to her, she had completely lost him. 

He took a glance at his alarm clock to see bold red numerals blinking luminously in his line of vision. It was 7 in the morning. He did a double take. The frown on his face deepened. 

"Christ, Rukia! You freaking woke me up before 9 on a Sunday morning!" 

Giving a loud groan, he quickly dived under the covers, pulling them up to cover himself. "You could at least let me sleep in. I just spent the past 8 hours working my ass off on the graveyard shift!" 

"Get up, you sleep-craving strawberry. Ichigo! GET UP!" she hollered as she began to tug sharply at the covers. 

"NO!" he roared as he seized the ends of his blanket, extremely reluctant to surrender the warmth of his blanket and the rest of his beautiful Sunday morning. 

Whatever Rukia had planned for him certainly did not involve sleep and breakfast in bed. So unless he was looking forward to a very busy day filled with all sorts of body-numbing activities, he was going to have to give his best at saving his blanket and staying in bed. 

"Rukia, you have got to get it through your tough skull- Sunday mornings are for sleeping in! Repeat after me, 'Sunday mornings are for sl- **HEY!** " 

He was rudely cut off from his sentence when his best friend started grabbing hold of his blanket and pulled hard. He gritted his teeth under the covers and held on to them. Well, if that's the way she wants to play it. He was damn well not going to lose in this tug of war. 

"Damn it, you oaf! I said, let go!" came her indignant demand. 

"Over my dead body, you evil imp!" 

The temperature in the room dropped dangerously low before she started shrieking. 

"Did you just call me an 'imp', Kurosaki!" 

She heaved in anger. Her tone was bordering dangerously close to being murderous. If he wasn't busy keeping a firm hold on the blanket and struggling to stay under it, he would have laughed. 

"Well what if I did, Kuchiki!" he taunted. 

And as expected, she took the jibe. 

"Why you- Ichigo! This is your last chance to let go! " 

"Read my lips, midget! **N-O!** " he hollered, making sure to grab a fistful of the soft material in both hands and keeping any bright orange strands of hair safe under the cover of the blanket. The vicious authoress can be dangerous at times, especially when she feels downright nasty enough to tug at a certain orange-head's hair. 

Ichigo shuddered at the memory. 

"You just sealed your own fate, berry-head!" 

He refused to back down. "Bring it on, pipsqueak!" 

A heated tug-of-war ensued between the two best friends while insults and name-calling flew across the bedroom. 

* * *

_Ooof!_

* * *

A loud crash resonated throughout the spacious apartment. The constant pulling and bantering had suddenly reached an impasse as silence drowned the room. Ichigo froze. 

"Rukia?" he called out tentatively- his head still hidden under the blanket. "Are you okay?" 

"Of course I'm not, you baka! Look what you made me do!" 

With both hands still clutching the ends of his blanket tightly, he cautiously raised his head from the covering blanket- only to see Rukia plopped disgracefully on the hard wooden flooring. 

The navy blue dress she had on had hiked up to her thighs, showing skin while the look of annoyance on her scowling face intensified. Her glossy black hair was slightly ruffled and it certainly didn't help that her hands had clenched themselves into two bundled-up fists with her malicious intent afloat throughout the room. 

But even that couldn't stop him from snorting. The twinkle of amusement was evident in his eyes. 

"Stop whatever you're doing right now, Kurosaki!" she growled. 

The smirk on his face could only broaden itself. 

"And pray tell, what exactly am I doing, Kuchiki?" 

She glared venomously at him as she tightened her fists. 

"It's **NOT** funny!" 

"Says the midget who's sitting on the floor," he smirked. 

The bed covers he draped over himself had slipped until they were down to the waist-band of his trousers, showcasing his well-sculpted abs and washboard chest. He put in the hard work to maintain his physique and he was proud of it. 

He peeked from the corner of his eyes. Same narrowed eyes, same clenched fists, same annoyed and irritated as hell expression. Girls, well- most girls, would die just to see him stripped naked in front of them, but not Rukia. 

He suppressed a chuckle at the thought. Rukia **kicks** his shins _and_ practically **orders** him to put on some decent clothes instead of prancing around half-naked like an animal. 

* * *

_"AHHHHHHH! Ichigo! What the hell are you thinking, you idiot! Put on a shirt before my landlady or God-forbid, Nii-sama comes in and gets a heart attack!" she screamed as she frantically combed through the open drawers, digging for a T-shirt before throwing one that looked too large to be hers and flowery with a message that read 'Peace be the Answer' towards him._

_He cringed at her choice of clothing, inspecting the T-shirt like it was a bug under a microscope and sniffed the offending garment curiously. There was something oddly fruity about it. Putting it on, he viewed his reflection in the mirror. It was a tight fit._

_He grimaced. Did she keep random guy T-shirts that just happened to look like she got them on clearance or were those her type? How did she end up with such a horrible piece of crap?_

_Before he had the chance to open his mouth, however she had already thrown out her explanation._

_"It was Ran's. She left it during one of her sleepovers. I heard that it was supposed to be Renji's Christmas present." She replied in a blithe manner._

_His face paled. With both hands on the hem on the pink T-shirt, he wasted no time throwing the atrocious thing into the washing basket._

_Rukia glared at him._

_"Oh for God's sake, Rukia! You can't be serious! That shirt is so ugly that even Renji didn't want it. You can't expect me to wear that! Besides, I'm dressed! I'm wearing a pair of jeans. That's hardly scandalous enough to cause anyone much less Byakuya an orgasm on the spot!"_

_" **ICHIGO!** "  
_

* * *

He winced.

He corrected himself. Rukia screams too. It was wonder he hadn't gone deaf over the years. Sometimes being Rukia Kuchiki's best friend was synonymous with being her 'kick-him-in-the-shins-and-he-won't-sue' person.

He tapped his finger against his unshaven chin, feeling a rough patch of stubble that was quickly forming underneath.

Why did she treat him so differently? What type of guys did she find attractive?

Heck, did she even have a type?

No, scratch that- did Rukia Kuchiki, international best-selling author/Kuchiki heiress/his best friend even date? At all?

He frowned.

Hang on- did he actually want Rukia to notice his perfect good looks and killer abs?

What the hell was wrong with him? It's Rukia he's talking about here! She's his best friend since college, his confidante (strictly platonic-wise), his personal pain in the neck, his _nakama_.

Why was he even thinking about her type?

It was so wrong in so many levels. He shook his head clear of the ridiculous notions. Really, what was he thinking? No way was he thinking about Rukia in that way!

**EW!**

He grimaced. He must have been more sleep depraved than he thought. It's like eating Inoue's curry-powdered vanilla pudding with bean paste all over again.

No! Rukia is a friend. His best friend- nothing more and nothing less.

That's it.

CASE CLOSED!

END OF THE STORY!

**_THE END!_ **

He threw the covers up until it reached his chin as he laid on his back. He shut his eyes tight as he turned to his side hoping that the midget would stop bothering him and let him be.

Suffice to say he was dead wrong. And the next thing he experienced simply took his breath away.

Literally.

Faster than he could blink, a dead weight had seemingly latched itself onto him- flying from nowhere and ended up on his middle, knocking the wind out of him as the weight settled and the force of it kicked in.

Tawny eyelashes fluttered open out of their own accord. Amber-coloured irises blinked out the tears rapidly as the shock settled. And just like that, amber met amethyst.

. 

His breath hitched and really the reason behind it was quite simple, because Rukia Kuchiki was currently lying on top of him. Her small frame was practically molded against his lanky and half-naked (saved by the blanket) form with him trapped between her legs.

Holy Jesus, his best friend was straddling him!

A complete meltdown assaulted him head-on. He told himself he wasn't even going to see the rest of their entangled bodies, but his eyes were still wide open and he saw quite simply, everything.

Her palms splayed openly on the blanket covering his chest. A single layer of cotton was all that stood between naked skin, separating her delicate digits from his chest.

He gulped nervously. This was not good at all.

His line of sight trailed upwards. They're close enough to bump noses, close enough for him to see the faint flicker of cerulean that laced her amethyst eyes, close enough to see the lines that ran across her lips as she licked them.

He wondered if she was affected by him as much as he was by her. He searched for his answer in her expressive eyes- the pair of darkening jewels that threaten to swallow him whole- body, mind and soul.

Wait- he blinked before he started cussing mentally, berating himself for his stupidity.

That was so cliché.

'Swallow him whole'?

Dear God, was he for real?

No, he told himself. This had gone too far.

With a turn of his head, he broke eye contact. He heard her exhale. Her warm breath strayed a little too close to his reddening ears. He hoped she didn't notice them or hear the pulsating beatings of his heart that was ramming against his rib-cage with every shuddering breath he took.

* * *

_  
Stop fidgeting and act calm.  
_

* * *

Clearing his throat awkwardly, he asked, "It's Chappy, isn't it?"

"How did yo-"

He rolled his eyes dramatically, not even bothering to turn and look at her to gauge her reaction and expression. He really could read her like a book.

Isn't that scary?

"Rukia, there's only two things in the world that can make you wake up before 9 on a weekend morning or public holiday. It's either Chappy or Byakuya."

"Don't call Nii-sama by his given name! It's disrespectful," she pouted.

He looked at her dead in the eyes. The embarrassment he initially experienced was ebbing away as he soon became comfortable in the position. Well, as comfortable as any grown, hot-blooded male would be if they have their best friend who also happened to be a girl lying on top of him.

"It's either that or 'stick-in-the-ass'. Which one would you prefer?" he asked in mock seriousness.

She gave him a light punch on the chest without commenting. And then, quite suddenly as if struck by divine intervention for thought, she decided to rest her head on his chest. His heart skipped a beat as his hands turned clammy. His Adam's apple bobbed and he retaliated by evening his breathing.

Now if only his thundering heart could be still.

Even underneath the blanket, he could feel her hair fanning and spread out on top of him. She smelt like lavender, winter roses and clean laundry. And he soon noticed that despite her fiery temper that flared up easily, her body temperature was a completely different story.

He lifted his arm out from the comfortingly warm blanket and wrapped it around her in a somewhat awkward manner; resembling a makeshift hug. Underneath his finger tips, her body felt cool and fragile, her skin soft and smooth to the touch.

He shut his eyes as a smile appeared on his lips.

He couldn't think of a better way to spend Sunday morning.

. 

"You know, there's a teensy weensy flaw with that statement, Ichigo." 

"Well then, would the great Rukia Kuchiki care to enlighten me?" 

She laughed- a cross between a giggle and a snort. The vibrations were felt on his sensitive skin as goosebumps rose from contact. He tried to peer at her expression but she had hid her face effectively by lying on top of him- her face was pressed against the blanket and he had to crane his neck just to catch a glimpse of her neck. 

He reclined against the soft mattress somewhat disappointed. 

"There are only three things that would make me wake up before 9 on a Sunday morning," she said, turning and propping herself up with her elbow, her blue-toned irises met his with complete sincerity and honesty as she finished. 

"And you're the third, Ichigo." 

His heart skipped a beat. Something in his chest just swelled hearing that. His heart was thundering so loudly that it was a miracle she hadn't noticed yet. 

* * *

_  
Ba-thump!  
_

_Ba-thump!  
_

_Ba-thump!  
_

* * *

He licked his dry lips. What exactly was his best friend doing to him?

But then after a lengthy pause, he chuckled, shaking his head clear of the silly notions going through his mind. He wrote it off as typical Rukia behavior. Oh God, the complex enigma called Rukia Kuchiki- his best friend. If he could get a dollar for every time he figured her out, then he would be a billionaire right now.

It was just so typical her to be like that- crazy and angry at one minute, sweet and kind at the next. She's just so whimsical that it drives anyone crazy. Sometimes it drives him crazy, keeping up with her mood swings.

But she's Rukia.

He could never stay mad at her for over half a day and he could never bring himself to refuse her. And that was why, five minutes from now he knew he was going to regret what he did.

So before he had the time to change his mind, he opened his mouth and signed his own death warrant.

"So… whose car are we driving?"

She frowned. Her lips pulled to form a curving line with a raised eyebrow just to show her puzzlement of his remark.

He faked a cough, looking away from her as he did. He so did not find that head-tilt cute.

"You know, the Chappy Convention?" he prompted.

Her eyes widened to their full extent, shinning with jewel-like brilliance- almost, he thought like a little girl curious with how her daddy knew exactly what Christmas gift she wanted. It was so juvenile and innocent, and something he just didn't think anyone in the world but her could pull off.

"How did you know that it was a Convention?"

He fought the urge to roll his eyes for the nth time of the day.

"Rukia, it's a Sunday. It's always Chappy on Sunday mornings."


	4. Sunrise

__

~Rukia~

There were reasons why she enjoyed their chick-flick marathons:

A) There would always be fresh banana muffins, home-made mind you- sitting on the kitchen counter the next morning.  
B) He would stay for the night and made himself 'useful' in the morning.  
C) She's the first thing he saw in the morning. And the morning light always brought out his eyes. In the light, they just shined. Cliché, but it's true.  


Was it illegal to find your best friend cute in the morning? 

* * *

Her hand trailed up and down on her bare arms. She grimaced, hating the cold. Where was the heater? She had the sudden urge to grab hold of something- something warm, soft and cuddly.

Her left hand reached out, fumbling clumsily with both her eyes shut. After what seemed to be a whole century of grappling aimlessly in the dark, she finally found something. She tested the texture of the item caught between her fingers. 

It was soft, smooth to the touch; like a worn-in piece of cotton. And the best thing was the mysterious item or rather something near to it was generating heat. 

She smiled. That would do just fine. 

With both her hands bunching in a fistful of the mysterious object, she managed to pull her half-awake self over to the heat source. Scooting closer in and snuggling deeper to make herself comfortable, she didn't stop until she had her head resting against it- making a very comfy pillow for herself. 

She lied perfectly still against her 'pillow'- had her nose pressed against it and greedily inhaled the faint whiff of cinnamon permeating. Smiling, she instinctively curled herself up against it and tightened her grip. 

"Hey, squirt! Go easy on the bear hug before I suffocate to death." 

She frowned. Pillows don't talk. She released the tight hold she had around her 'pillow', settling instead to run her hands up and down the front of it. Her frown deepened. 

That was strange. Her 'pillow' was actually hard and broad. She ran them down lower. 

Stranger still- since when did 'pillows' have edges? 

She poked at it with her index finger. Were those actually human muscles? 

"Rukia, stop that! It tickles." 

And pillows were certainly **NOT** ticklish! 

.

Rukia shot up ramrod straight. Her bleary eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to get the bearings of her surroundings. She saw couches in a deep burgundy arranged neatly around her, a coffee table with an empty bowl and two stained mugs set and the 43-inch LCD screen on the opposite wall. 

It took a second for everything to sink in. 

She almost wanted to kick herself. She was lying on one of the couches in her living room. And her so-called 'pillow' was none other than her best friend. 

Said friend was currently staring at his flimsy T-shirt in disgust. "You drool in your sleep." 

The heiress scoffed, taking her time to make a casual sweep of her best friend under the guise of some morning stretching to smooth out the kinks and cricks. A sliver of the bright sun peeked through the Venetian blinds, illuminating the tiny details she wouldn't normally notice about her friend. 

Under the bright glow of the morning sun, everything about her best friend just shined. She mentally gave herself a slap on the head, but that was the truth. She may be his platonic best friend but as a member of the fairer sex well- she's got eyes, thank you very much! 

Tall, muscular and objectively good-looking with his unblemished, not to mention well-sculpted face- her best friend was beautiful. She's seen him shirtless before- his six packs and abs were nothing to scoff at! 

As to why she didn't fangirl over him- well the answer's a bit more complicated. It's not like she didn't think of Ichigo as good-looking but rather because Nii-sama was better. Her brother was the kind of classical beauty that poets spouted poetries to and bards wrote songs for. Growing up with Nii-sama practically immunized her to men with good looks and raised her bar high. 

Compared to him Ichigo was well- passable. 

Fine, she bit her tongue- she lied. Ichigo was more than _passable_ , he's cute in a nerdy _tsundere_ -y 'I'll-murder-you-if-you-tell-people-I-read-Shakespeare' kind of way. 

And he got brownie points for his eyes. 

They were a deep set of 'melt-me-down' butterscotch. Their golden-hued tones were always changing to suit his moods and the lighting of his surroundings- sometimes darker and at times light enough to remind her of syrupy honey. They scintillated, glowed, glimmered, gleamed, shined- well she had already run out of adjectives to describe them over the years she knew him. 

They were just… _gorgeous_. 

.

Rukia jolted herself back into reality upon deciding that she had spent far too much time rambling. With the regained use of her limbs, she slightly inched herself away from Ichigo. 

She yawned, muffling it with the back of her palm. 

"Which movies?" she asked. 

He tapped his index finger against his chin, his eyes on the ceiling as he listed the movies from memory. "Well, we had _Pride and Prejudice_ , um… _Titanic_ , _Persuasion_ and the classic _Casablanca_. I think you fell asleep half way through _Casablanca_ though." 

"I did not," she stood up, turned to make her way into the kitchen, "Do banana muffins sound good to you?" 

His right hand had shot out to grip her wrist before she could leave his side and take another step to the kitchen. She stared at him quizzically. 

Ichigo however propped himself up. His upper half body set upright on the couch and supported by the arm-rest as he looked her dead in the eyes. His grip on her wrist was firm yet gentle as his soft eyes bore themselves into her soul. 

He sighed. 

"We can do this the hard way or the easy way." 

She gave him a blank stare- the perfect neutral expression on her face. "What are you talking about?" 

He groaned before scowling. "Why are you always this stubborn, Rukia? What are you hiding from me?" 

"N-Nothing. What makes you think that?" 

She gulped. The guilt that she was indeed hiding something from him made her look away. The only reason she wasn't sprinting away into the safety of her kitchen being the fact that her best friend had clasped an iron-clad grip around her slender wrist. 

He snorted. "You're not a very good liar, Rukia. You actually forced me to sit through the whole day with you, watching chick flicks when you would normally be watching reruns of Chappy Adventures, _Supernatural_ and _NCIS_. Last time this happened, you thought Byakuya was involved in some sort of road accident and had actually died!" 

He tightened the hold he had on her as he gave her another deep penetrating look. Leaning back against the arm-rest, he asked. "So?" he nudged her. "You're going to tell me what's wrong?" 

She bit her lower lips. Seeing her hesitation, he gestured at the unoccupied space beside him on the couch, beckoning her to sit and gave her the look. She just knew he was never going to let her live it down if she didn't comply with his wishes, and begrudgingly followed his demands. His hold on her wrist remained while she plopped down on the couch and hugged a pillow to her chest. 

"Boss threatened to fire me," she mumbled. 

He stiffened- going perfectly still for a whole second before resuming his casual lean. His fingers were clenched tight and his face entirely blank. 

"What happened?" 

She sighed, nervously picking at the hem of her shirt. 

"Let's just say we had some _creative differences_." 

She bit her tongue hard- actually what really happened was a shouting match in the office. But he didn't need to know the messy details. 

Ichigo nodded tersely. His hand tightened just a fraction on her wrist, others would have easily overlooked it, but she knew it as a sign of him trying to rein in his anger. She sighed inwardly. This was why she didn't want to tell him in the first place. 

"What did you say to him?" 

"I told him to save his breath," she said. Her eyes met his as his warm hand instinctively reached to grab hold of hers. "I told him to save his breath because I quit." 

. 

The heiress held her breath, waiting for his reaction. Less than a second later, she found his large, comforting arm draped over her shoulders. The hold on her wrist pulled her towards him. She didn't resist it. Instant relief and gratitude flooded her senses the moment she was able to lay her head against his chest. 

He shifted his position on the couch as he ruffled her hair. "What are you going to do, now? Tired of the regular jobs and ready to pick up the mantle as a full-time writer or are you still holding on to your 'part-time-writing-lets-you-have-better-experience-dealing-with-characters' thing?" 

Her expression turned thoughtful. "Honestly, I don't know. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get there." 

She kept her head still on his chest, her eye lids growing heavier as he started rubbing lazy circles along her forearm. She could have easily fallen asleep if it wasn't for the strange rumbling coming from his chest. It took a few minutes for her to realize that he was actually chuckling. 

It was a rare thing indeed to see the notoriously cranky doctor crack a smile. Naturally, she wanted to know why. 

"What's so funny?" 

He chuckled. "You- weirdo." 

She gave him a playful slap on the shoulders. "I am not." 

"Liar!" 

Her lips shaped into a pout. "Well prove it!" hands on her waist as she stared him down- "I dare you to prove that I'm actually a 'weirdo'!" 

He rolled his eyes. "Normal girls bawl their heart out when something like this happens. They eat _Haagen-Dazs_ or _Baskin Robbins_ by the tub. They have their best girl friends to 'dish'. You, on the other hand, force your best friend who in this case happens to be a guy to sit through a whole torturous day with you, watching chick flicks. You eat popcorn like there's no tomorrow and you sit through the whole damn marathon without even shedding a tear. It's inhuman." 

He paused for dramatic effect. 

"Rukia Kuchiki, you are NOT normal." 

She snorted. "If I happen to be the weirdo girl, then you're the loony guy who stays with her for the show. Or could it be that you secretly enjoy watching the chick flicks that you adamantly claim to hate so much?" 

Her smile turned sly as she watched him frowned. Obviously the question had never crossed his mind. 

"Well… um… I um… You know …" 

There went his manly pride first thing in the morning. His shoulders slumped forward as his scowl deepened. 

She patted him condescendingly on the shoulders. "I know, Ichigo. You just happen to be speechless in the presence of wise ole me." 

She flashed him a grin as she unhooked herself from his pull and slid off the couch. She heard him muttering angrily as she marched into the spacious kitchen, taking out the ingredients she needed from the various cabinets and drawers. She made little efforts in hiding her smile knowing full well how it irked him to lose a verbal argument. 

She took out the sugar and butter first having already preheated the oven. She had barely even started beating the mixture when she heard his _Samsung_ ringing. 

Ichigo only decided to pick up the phone after the second ring and by then she had already cracked the first egg open. She shot him a pointed look. 

* * *

_Who is that?_

* * *

Ishida, he mouthed, wordlessly reading her mind.

She nodded. Her mind was back to the task at hand. She calmly continued her cooking but her curiosity as to why Ishida-san would call him when it's barely 7 in the morning gnawed at her. In the end, she settled for multitasking. 

"No, I'm with Rukia." 

* * *

_Crack!_

* * *

Down went another egg into the concoction she was mixing.

"Are you freaking shitting me, Ishida?" snarled Ichigo as he stood up abruptly from the couch. 

She carefully cast a glance at his direction. Unsurprisingly, she found him pacing the living room in circles. The phone was held against his ear as his face contorted into an ugly look of annoyance and ire. Another hand was running through his shock of entangled tresses, making them wild with spikes. 

"No, I don't care if he's the fucking United States President, Ishida. Damn it, he is FOS and you know it! He's not even in pain. Fine! You want to know what he has! It's called Neuro-faecal Syndrome! Get your people to get a look at him!" 

A sudden pause. 

Rukia sighed before she carefully added the chopped walnuts and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. 

"So what if he's the biggest donor to the hospital? I don't give a fucking damn about it! He's not my problem! Get the board to do something about that! I'm not the fucking welcoming butt-kissing committee." 

It was not a good sign. His outburst, that is. Rukia rolled her eyes. Ichigo, her caffeine-addicted of a best friend was not a morning person and became incredibly surly in the morning without his daily fix, as evidenced by his current behavior. 

It was barely morning and he had already lived up to his potty-mouth reputation. Taking a short break from her task, she switched on the white-coloured coffee maker. 

In the beginning, she could barely stand the sight of the bitter liquid, but now she seemed to have developed an acquired love for the aromatic odour of freshly brewed coffee, and it made her best friend happy. She shook her head and she went back to her task with her tired smile. 

Really, what more reasons would she need to keep a _Keurig B30 Mini Brewer_? 

. 

Ichigo's pace slowed down, until it finally came to a halt. His eyebrows were still furrowed and he still had a fierce scowl but at least he wasn't running a hand through his hair any more. Inwardly however, he was raging. 

"Fine! But you've said it yourself. I leave the moment Derek steps into that room. I don't care if he's bleeding or if his scalp is split. I'm gone. And that's that!" 

Rukia looked up from her task of greasing the muffin pan just as the phone call ended. She whirled around to face her best friend and offered him a sympathetic smile before returning to her task. "I take it that your day started out quite badly." 

He made his way towards the kitchen counter. His eyes never straying far from the fresh banana muffin batter on it. "Bad, would be putting it mildly. The day started out _horrendously_ ," he grumbled. 

She chuckled at his show of dramatic wordplay. "Don't you think you're exaggerating a little too much, Shakespeare? I mean, your patient can't be that bad, right?" 

"Rukia, you obviously haven't met that guy! Because let me tell you, he's around 60, has a fucking pot belly the size of a pregnant woman. And _urgh_ , his face is every mother's nightmare. And that doesn't even justify his behavior, he's a Class A perv. You wouldn't believe the number of nurses who go as white as a ghost when they hear rumours of him checking in." 

She snorted. "And you're sure you're not exaggerating?" 

"Seeing is believing, Rukia." 

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just make yourself useful and open the oven door, won't you?" 

Shrugging, he gave a casual nod before striding towards the oven and with a swift push, revealed the preheated oven tray within. She carefully slid her muffin pan into the oven before adjusting the timer. 

"Thanks," she said as she undid the Chappy apron she had on before turning to address her best friend. "But aren't you supposed to be going somewhere?" 

Ichigo shrugged. "I'll rather take my time. The fact that they didn't page me and had actually contacted me via Ishida and cell phone implies that this is not an emergency. No need to panic or hurry. Besides, there's nothing wrong with that old guy anyway, his tendency to touch the nurses inappropriately aside. He's just so damn convinced that he's got Serotonin, which I have, no fucking idea why. This is the 5th time in the month that he's checked in, demanding that I do something about him!" 

It was then when he noticed her sly smile and the crafty gleam in her eyes. He narrowed his eyes. "Just what's going on in that head of yours now, Rukia?" 

" _Tsk, tsk_ ," she tutted, "Ichigo, is that how you treat an admirer?" 

She took personal glee and gratification in watching his face turn putrid green, pale and finally settled on fire-engine red. 

"What the hell, Rukia! That's just plain sick! I can't believe you just said that. He may be a Class A pervert but I'm 99%, no scratch that 200% sure that he doesn't swing the other way. Don't you think that I would've noticed that if he um… likes men?" 

She gave him a skeptical glance, a smirk on her lips. "Uh-huh. And this is coming from the guy who had no clue whatsoever that Orihime Inoue had a crush on him for 2 years? Wow, that's rich!" 

She laughed as his face turned ashen and his shoulders tensed. She offered him the wooden spoon, sticky with the muffin batter. "Deal with it, strawberry-head. Because that's the **TRUTH**!" 

He groaned, snatching the spoon rudely from her grasp. He turned the spoon several times around before noticing her patronizing grin. Scowling at her, he took a tentative lick from the spoon. 

She laughed. 

He looked like a petulant child with that stance and look on his face. He would've made such an adorable-looking kid though, minus the perpetual scowl. She mentally drew a portrait of him as a 5 year-old, precocious and sweet with untied shoelaces on his sneakers and holding onto his rainbow-coloured lollipop like a lifeline. 

"Yo, earth to Rukia," came Ichigo's voice as he waved his hand annoyingly in front of her. 

Rukia swatted his hand away, wrinkling her nose as she did. "Ichigo, get your hand out of my face before I wallop you!" 

He gave her a lazy smirk. "I'll like to see you try." 

She gave him a dirty look and he promptly changed his mind. "But, unlike a certain jobless person, I happen to have surgeries to perform, lives to save and-" 

"Fat, gay millionaires to entertain?" 

He curled his lips into a frown. "That was low, Rukia. Real low." 

Rukia laughed. " _Awww_ … Did I hurt the doctor's feelings?" 

He rolled his eyes, making a rude grunt as the line on his lips deepened. "Shut up!" he countered intelligently as he opened the kitchen cabinet to his right and took out an orange mug. 

Mug in hand, he proceeded to pour himself a generous amount of the steaming coffee, grimacing slightly at the bitter taste, but silently thankful for Rukia's forethought of brewing his personal 'elixir of life' wordlessly. 

He needed it, the acquired aftereffects of his daily brawl-routine/rough wake-up call by his father when he was younger. Straightening his arms, he took note of the 'pop' sound with mild satisfaction, slowly loosening the kinks on his body as a result of his bad sleeping posture. 

He grimaced at the numb, paralyzing feel on his left arm as he did. Oh the joy of being your best friend's pillow! The scowl on his face deepened as he finished the coffee in a gulp. 

Time for work. 

. 

"Rukia, did I leave any clean shirts here?" he asked whilst yawning. 

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with the one you're wearing right now?" 

"You mean besides the fact that you've drooled on it? No reason." 

A scowl appeared on her lips. "It's in the guestroom. Second drawer to your right." 

Her best friend was already out of her sight before she even finished her sentence. Her sensitive ears vaguely caught the 'click' of the bathroom door and the gurgling of running tap water. She frowned, the idiot better remember to close the toothpaste cap this time! 

* * *

_Beep!  
_

_Beep!  
_

_Beep!  
_

* * *

The timer on her electronic oven went off. The pint-sized baker managed to grab the muffin pan and laid them out to cool just as Ichigo came out from the bathroom. By then, he was sporting his favourite tee with the printed message of 'Nice Vibes' and a new pair of low-rise jeans.

"How did my favourite shirt get here? I've been ransacking my apartment for this!" he asked in amazement. 

She shrugged apathetically. "Well, Sherlock, you must have left it here because contrary to what you may believe, shirts do not walk or possess a mind of their own." 

He opened his mouth to retort but clamped it shut before the first syllable of the sentence was even uttered. Instead he calmly crossed over to the kitchen counter in less than 4 strides. 

And while Rukia wasn't paying attention to his straying hands, he quickly scooped up two of the beautiful caramel-crusted muffins. He inhaled the mouth-watering fragrance in a dream-like trance before taking a bite from each muffin alternately. 

She smiled at his antics. "Pig," she teased. 

"Shut up," he said in between bites, "'sides, you have muffin crumbs in your hair. So I think that makes you worse." 

Rukia whirled around, her delicate fingers going straight for her mussed hair, movements frantic as she attempted to dust off any crumbs present. Satisfied that no golden crumbs fell from her hair, she turned to face her best friends angrily. 

"You liar! There's nothing in my hair!" 

He smirked, taking a step closer to her as he leaned forward. Rukia had remained blissfully unaware of their close proximity until she found herself staring into his beautiful brown eyes. She gulped nervously. For some sick reason, her heart was going crazy, hammering non-stop against her rib cage. 

And there was that silly fluttering in her stomach as the distance between them decreased. His lips were just inches from hers. But she was just rooted on the spot, unable to speak and much less move. Her breath hitched as she squeezed her eyes shut when his mouth descended on her. 

Something slippery and wet connected with her skin. Rukia kept her eyes shut, reluctant to look. But the sensation of skin against skin spread across her senses like a swarm of ants, inspiring sparks of electricity to go haywire in her system, making her frown. 

It was cool, slimy and slightly disgusting and on her… **forehead**? 

* * *

_What the hell!_

* * *

Opening her eyes, she was quickly greeted by the sight of a smug-looking Ichigo with muffin crumbs adorning his lips and chin while shooting her an amused look. She fumed, resisting the urge to flip him the bird. Did he have any idea how he came _this_ close to causing a heart attack? 

"Looks like you do have crumbs in your hair after all," he said holding up his third muffin of the day against his wide open mouth. 

Rukia shot him a bewildered look while her hands went to her forehead and the stray bang that seemed to lie perpetually against it. Sure enough, clean fingers came in contact with the infamous golden crumbs. 

" **ICHIGO**!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doctors' Slang, Courtesy of various TV shows dealing with life as a surgeon:
> 
> 1) FOS- full of shit (literally and figuratively speaking)
> 
> 2) Neuro-faecal Syndrome- shit for brains
> 
> 3) Serotonin- short for Serotonin Syndrome (a potentially life-threatening adverse drug reaction that may occur following therapeutic drug use, also called Serotonin Storm, hyperserotonemia, or serotonergic syndrome)
> 
> And yes, needless to say all the mentioned TV-shows and movies are my absolute favourites.


	5. Call Me Irresponsible

_~Ichigo~_

He hated lying to her because:

A) He hated liars and hypocrites as much as he hated the _Don Kanonji Show_.  
B) Friends, best friends especially- just don't lie to each other. Period.  
C) It was a waste of efforts anyway. She knew him too well. One twitch of his lips, one flinch upon contact and she would've known he was lying.  


But still, an occasional white lie or two never hurt, right? 

* * *

"How the _fuck_ did you guys let this happen?"

Ichigo fixed his fiercest glare at the three nervously-twitching interns in front of him and noted how they were all refusing to make eye contact with him. They were all afraid of him and they should be. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Bailey was going to _murder_ him and that was _if_ Rukia didn't get to him first. 

"Bubbly girl," he called out and the intern in question squeaked, almost giving herself whiplash with the speed she raised her head up to meet his gaze. Ichigo felt bad for the girl- truly he did, but for the love of God, how could she have missed the headache and fixed pupils? 

"You were supposed to be in charge so what happened? The patient was stable when I left. Two hours later I get the call that she's having seizures with her intracranial pressure shot through the roof and a shunt had to be drilled through her skull. Care to explain?" 

"W-Well, the seizure is a complication of her intracranial hypertension." 

He snorted. "Yeah no shit, Sherlock- I'm asking you what caused her ICP to go up?" 

Ichigo could see the girl tearing up and instantly felt bad, shifting his attention to short stack with glasses and mousey boy instead. 

"Well what do you two think?" 

Bubbly girl was team leader but it wasn't fair to just roast her when all three shared equal responsibilities. One for all and all for one- the two shouldn't be left off the hook because they obviously weren't playing their parts as team member either. He wouldn't be going easy on any of them because they were all equally in the wrong, besides he's been told that it built camaraderie. 

"Meningitis!" 

"Brain aneurysm!" 

Both interns called out at the same time and for the moment the team was redeemed in his eyes. They weren't complete idiots- at least they didn't lose their heads in a situation like this. 

"Well which is it?" he demanded. All three visibly shrank from his glare. 

"We don't know," the girl whispered and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was scary and his scowl had already achieved the intended effect- they knew they fucked up and they were trying to recover from their mistake. Despite popular belief, he wasn't actually heartless enough to scare them shitless nor did it give him any pleasure to watch them crash and burn. 

"So you do what you can to find out," he pointed at the bespectacled intern and barked, "You! Lumbar puncture and get our patient started on broad spectrum antibiotics. Bubbly girl and mousey boy, CT scan. Be back in 20 minutes." 

He growled, "Remember, I don't want excuses. I want results and a diagnosis!" 

Like a true despot, he let the ominous or else hang in the air, the proverbial noose on all three of their necks as they stood on the gallows. 

"Now GO!" 

The interns flew into action, disappearing from his line of vision like dust in the wind. 

Heaving a weary sigh, he ducked into one of the deserted meeting rooms. He could catch up with the chief resident and his attending later and the lecture that was most definitely coming his way can wait, right now he needed to defuse the ticking time bomb that was his best friend. 

Rukia  
online  
Hey  
Come on, midget  
I m sorry  
Sorry doesn't cut it! (Pouting Face )  
Rukiaaaaa  
Rukiaaaaaaaa  


He tapped his finger against his chin as he reclined against the plush cushion, brown eyes never leaving the tiny screen.

He sighed. So maybe it was his fault for leaving a mess in her kitchen before he went out, but seriously what did she expect? He was paged while he was cooking. It was a miracle that he remembered to turn off the stove in his rush to get back to the hospital. 

He had called her earlier, explaining the situation and literally groveling because he knew how much of a neat freak the midget was but she still wouldn't budge. 

For crying out loud, it wasn't even his fault! The whole thing could have been prevented if the interns did their jobs right. 

He ran a hand through his tousled orange locks before taking in deep breath. 

Rukia  
online  
I m sorry  
I m sorry  
I m sorry  
I m sorry  
I m sorry  
STOP SPAMMING! (Pouting Face )  
(Loudly Crying Face )How can I make it up to you?  


There was still no reply from his best friend. He frowned- desperate time called for desperate measures. 

Rukia  
online  
I will do anything you want!  
Anything?  


He kept his eyes on the clock. Fingers twiddling somewhat nervously as he waited for her reply. It took her exactly 4 minutes 57 seconds to do that.

He gulped. There was that spine-tingling feeling crawling all over him right now. It made his hair stand and gave him goosebumps. 

Rukia  
online  
Within certain reasons...  
Even _Vivienne Westwood_?  


His fingers were shaking slightly as he typed his reply. Considering the average price of a pair of _Vivienne Westwood_ , his face paled as the gravity of the figures finally rested their weight on his shoulders.

But, he bit his tongue, it was necessary; he reminded himself that the sacrifice was not in vain. The consequences of him not meeting her 'demands' were a hell lot worse.

Rukia  
online  
Ok  
That's so nice of you(Grinning Face )  
The life size Chappy doll?  


He cringed. How she could incorporate that sick, sugary act of hers through the phone lines and internet and still manage to make him shudder was beyond him.

Rukia  
online  
It's yours! Take it!  
You shouldn't…  
But I accept  
And that red _Versace_ dress  
(Money With Wings )  
(Loudly Crying Face )  
LOL  
Do I look good in red?  


He scowled. His fingers began to tighten uncharacteristically on the arm-rest as he dug them into the soft flesh of the plushy cushion. Rukia and her little games- would it kill her to not have the last word?

He bit his tongue.

Rukia  
online  
The black dress looks better  
You said I needed more colours  
I'll go with the red one  
So...  
Does that mean I m forgiven  
Do you really need to ask?  


He heaved a sigh of relief. A tiny, almost non-existent smile curled upon his lips, but he quickly wiped it from existence. The man had a reputation to up hold. He's _the_ Ichigo Kurosaki or Kurosaki Ichigo if you're Oriental and into the whole 'surname-in-front-of-given-names' thing- the half part brilliant, half part brazen, overall badass doc with an attitude, complete with the must-have permanent scowl.

They, meaning the hospital staffs in _Seattle Grace Mercy West_ who have known him since his internship three years ago- would never let him live it down if they ever found him smiling like an idiot at his phone.

Rukia  
online  
How's the job hunt?  
(Loudly Crying Face )  
Not so good  
People are crazy  
Some guy even proposed to me  
WTF(Frowning Face With Open Mouth )  
Who?  
Kon Luosdom  
Oops!  
Shouldn't have told you that  
Why?  
Who knows what you'll do to him  


The doctor bristled- why did she always automatically assume that he's out to cause bodily harm? He's a doctor now; not his younger college self who rushed into situations faster than anyone could blink.

Well, he's a somewhat reformed version of his college self but hey- at least he's not shoving a punch at the nearest pervert's face anymore.

Rukia  
online  
Nothing  
-short of scaring him shitless  
N losing your job o.O  
LOL  
Job>>> you  
XD  
Don't worry bout it  
He's just a fan  
No big deal  


It was a wonder he didn't book an appointment for her with the nearest psychiatrist available in his vicinity which in this case happened to be Ishida.

Just another fan?

Well, Chapman used to be 'just another fan'. Look what he did to _John Lennon_! As her best friend, there was no way he was going to let her take that risk.

Nope, the first thing he's going to do when his shift ends would be to find Chad and have the stocky Mexican P.I. run a background check on that guy.

For crying out loud, who in the world has a surname called 'Luosdom'? This reeked of fishiness. What if he's some sort of wanted fugitive or psychopath in some unheard-of country!

Rukia  
online  
Don't ask Chad to run a check  
*On him  
I mean it  
FINE!  
(Grinning Face )  
Do me a favour?  
Sure?  
As long as no murder involved  
My patient left her jacket here  
Name's Yoruichi Shihoin  
I got her name card  
On call now  
Return it to her for me please  


A distinct frown on her lips as she mulled over his so-called favour. In all the years they've known each other, he had never thrown in an explanation for a favour. Maybe she was overreacting, but normally Ichigo wouldn't have bothered to call it a favour.

He'd just ask her to take it to the patient. And she would be the one asking 'why'- he never volunteered information. Whoever this Shihoin lady is, she must be pretty important to him.

And that thought, that silly notion of his new patient being important to him just caused something surprisingly painful to erupt in her chest, like a sharp sting that settled on there and wouldn't let go. It's not like he's saying that this Shihoin lady was his 'new best friend'.

She snorted. That would have been so juvenile, childish and well, let's face it neither of them were growing any younger.

But still, the thought of him implying that his patient was more important to him than she was- just hurt.

Period.

She gave herself a whole minute to compose herself but felt oddly numb and cold as she typed in her next reply.

Just what in the world was wrong with her?

Rukia  
online  
o.O personal delivery?  
Shihoin lady sounds special  


_Special?_

He snorted. The word couldn't even begin to describe that woman. Oh she was a modern-day high society lady alright if her old money inheritance was any indication, but her behavior would never have given you the time to entertain the thought.

To put it mildly, Yoruichi Shihoin had no qualms for modesty at all. With her mocha tanned skin and gleaming golden flecks for eyes, she was a seductively exotic creature with the figure of a runway supermodel.

Tight, revealing clothes were casually worn like a second skin, her figure flaunted in the open air without care and did he mention that she **loved** shopping.

* * *

_With a fierce scowl and a dozen or so heavily loaded shopping bags from several high-end designer stores, it was evident as Ichigo Kurosaki emerged from the Versace outlet, trailing behind a certain voluptuous beauty, that he was less than pleased with the shopping 'expedition'._

_Trudging grudgingly while mumbling, he had his eyes glued to the front, glaring daggers at the woman and eying her angrily as she sashayed seductively through the mob. Her purplish-black ponytail was swinging to the tempo of her lithe figure as she maneuvered both of them through the crowd._

_Her tight leather capris and sleeveless black halter top complimented her figure wonderfully with those gravity-defying killer stilettos. Unsurprisingly, it earned her several appreciative looks and whistles along the way._

_He clenched his jaw as the scowl intensified. A bead of sweat dripped from his brow as he shifted the weight of the heavy purchases as best as he could. He was only doing it for Rukia. That's right. He bit the tip of his tongue._

_Remember the consequences, think of Rukia._

_A few more minutes to go and the ordeal ends, he could go home while Rukia gets a new job._

_Deep breaths, inhale, exhale- he told himself as he took up the breathing exercises._

_Yoruichi merely rolled her eyes. "Will you please stop doing that? You're acting like a freaking pregnant cow ready to give birth."_

_His eyebrow twitched. 'Pregnant cow'? Try 'pissed-off-as-hell bull'!_

_"Maybe it will help if you would be so kind as to carry some of your own bags." He gritted through his clenched jaw._

_She scoffed._

_"As if! Why else did you think I accepted Kisuke's offer any way? I needed a guy to help me carry my goods and you need a job. It's a good deal and-" she smirked-"it spares me from going through the interview process."_

_"Okay, let's get this straight. First of all, I DO NOT need a job. My friend, Rukia does," came his snarky reply as they got into the elevator. He grimaced as he saw the amount of people crammed inside the metal contraption, shooting another pointed glare at Yoruichi standing beside him who was busy attending to her painted fingernails._

_"Details," came her lazy drawl as they traveled upwards. "Anyway, if your friend needs a job as bad as you said she does, why didn't she apply for the job herself? 'Meow!Meow!' is a high-end fashion magazines. We've had several world-renowned authors applying for a job position over the years. How is this Rukia of yours any different? "_

_"Because she's not supposed to know."_

_Yoruichi raised an eyebrow- her attention piqued as she tore her eyes away from the sight of her fingernails._

_"What exactly do you mean by 'she's not supposed to know'?"_

_He sighed, running a hand through his hair before answering, "Rukia is a very proud person. And no, I don't mean to say that she's vain- there's a difference between those two- but rather she-" he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly-"she takes pride in a lot of things. She takes pride in her work, her family name, and her abilities. And that's why she would never accept the job if I recommended it to her or personally took it upon myself to secure the job for her, especially if she thinks I'm doing this out of pity. She hates being anyone's charity case."_

_"And that's why, she must never know."_

_He gave her a pointed look. "Promise me you won't tell her about this."_

_She pondered over his statement before asking. "But isn't this-" she glanced at the hefty bags around her- "a tad bit too hypocritical? I mean- the only reason you're doing this is because you want to help her but isn't this helpful gesture an indirect way of saying you doubt her abilities? You doubt her pride in her friends. You doubt her capacity in accepting a gift from her friend."_

_He growled. "I trust Rukia with my life. The only reason I'm doing this is because I also know she hates changes. She's just too-" he struggled to find the right word- "Too rigid and well, she's not a gambler. If she stands at a crossroad and there are two roads: one a new paved path and the other the worn path she always takes, she'll always stick to the old one; no matter how uneven the road is and how bad it had deteriorated, she would stick to it."_

_He took a deep breath before continuing in the same manner. "It's the same thing with her job. She's so well-known in her own line of work that everyone either blatantly ignores her or just plain worships her. She'll never get another job if she does it her way."_

_The doctor turned to give a meaningful glance at Yoruichi before finishing. "She's smart but sometimes she just thinks too much. She's less likely to reject new ideas if they smack her right in the face. If you give her time to sort out her thoughts, she'll eventually just draw out too many scenes in that midget little head that by some bizarre, macabre fashion just convinces her that the old way is the best way."_

_Yoruichi stood perfectly aloof beside him, giving no indication at all whether she had heard him._

_He shrugged. It didn't matter any way. Her opinion of his actions meant zilch to him._

_The pair rode in absolute silence for the rest of the journey._

_It was only when they finally exited the elevator and managed to load all the expensive items into the trunk of Yoruichi's ocean blue Porsche, that she broke the overwhelming silence._

_Rummaging her way through the assortment of shopping bags, she finally broke into a grin when she managed to find a denim jacket. With the jacket at hand, she sauntered up to Ichigo, beckoning him to hold out his hands before depositing said garment in his hands._

_He raised an eyebrow, evidently surprised by the sudden gesture._

_"It's for Rukia, you dolt." She answered before he had the chance of even opening his mouth. "You probably hadn't thought about how you're supposed to convince her to go to Meow!Meow! HQ, did you?"_

_She took the involuntary rubbing at the back of his neck as 'yes' and quickly flashed him another Cheshire grin._

_"Thought so. And you might need this-" she calmly fished out one of her name cards from her pocket and handed it to him- "Tell her that I'm your patient and I left my jacket there. Give her my name card and ask her to return it to the office. I'll take care of things once she gets there."_

_He didn't know for how long he just stood there with a mixture of shock and gratitude before he finally managed to croak out, "Thank you."_

_Nodding, she nimbly climbed into the driver seat, sparing him only a mild glance as she sped off._

* * *

To that extent, Yoruichi Shihoin was actually a great help. And now all that's left was to convince Rukia to accept and carry out the 'favour'.

She didn't disappoint.

Rukia  
online  
Fine  
Thanks  
Where are you  
A few blocks away from Grace  
Be there in 20  
Ok  


He quickly pocketed the phone. He stretched, popping his knuckles before he made his way out of the room.

His phone buzzed almost like an afterthought and he saw Rukia's final message.

His lips twitched.

Rukia  
online  
Go easy on the interns  
Can't promise anything  
Liar  


.

They were waiting for him when he exited the room. Bubbly girl seemed to have recovered from her earlier nervousness but short stack with glasses was literally sweating buckets.

"I-I-I'm sorry but the lab results aren't back yet."

Fine- Rukia had a point. He remembered being a hapless intern once and who didn't fuck up at least once on something?

He sighed. "It's okay. I was being too harsh anyway. It's a lot of pressure to be under. I get it- just don't let this happen again."

Ichigo's eyes suddenly brightened as the girl's name came to him. And it was such an easy name too.

"Sara-" the girl's eyes widened, as did the other interns as they gave a collective suspicious look at the notoriously grumpy resident- "make sure you brush up on signs of high ICP and guys, there are different types of shock- study them as part of your USMLE preparation."

Ichigo glanced at the clock. He still had to grab the jacket from his locker.

"Right, I have something I need to do. We'll meet outside the patient's room. The results better be in by then."

.

With him gone, all three interns regarded each other with amazement, too stunned to even speak.

"Did that just happen?" asked Anna (a.k.a. Bubbly girl). She didn't even bother correcting the resident- too surprised that he had actually made an effort to even remember her name in the first place and to be perfectly honest, this might be the closest Ichigo was ever going to get in getting her name right.

"I feel like we just stepped into some crazy Twilight zone. Are we sure it's not April's Fool today?"

Her fellow interns shook their heads and Anna let out a low whistle as she whispered conspiratorially.

"Guys- it worked!"

One of the nurses had told them about the secret to dealing with the grumpy resident and at first all three of them had laughed it off as a hoax of some sort designed to dupe gullible interns. How different can a guy be after one phone call anyway?

They knew better now though.

The secret to dealing with Dr. Grumpy-ass Kurosaki was catching him immediately after he got off the phone. Nurses said they once heard a woman's voice on the other line, assuming it to be the grouch's girlfriend. Of course no one was actually bold enough to say it to his face or pry the identity of the woman out from him- the resident was fastidious in keeping her identity hidden and his notorious scowl was enough of a deterrent to say the least.

Well whoever the mystery woman was, Anna was extremely thankful- the man was almost nice (in a rude, tough love kind of way) after the sessions.

She turned to look at her friends, still barely recovering from the disbelief and said.

"We are _so_ dedicating a shrine to her."

Angels, it seemed- do exist and on Earth, they sometimes came in the form of Dr. Kurosaki's girlfriend.

.

Ichigo waited for her outside the hospital. The distant rumble of thunder was heard as the wind grew stronger. Around him, people were glancing warily at the grey overcast as they hurried to their own destinations as fast as possible. He tucked his hands into his white coat pockets and frowned.

It was definitely going to rain soon. Summers in Seattle are anything but sunny. It rained, it poured and it never stopped.

He smiled when he caught sight of his best friend as she arrived. There was something about the sight of her that always warmed him, like coming home at the end of a shift and just instinctively feeling relaxed.

Frowning, Rukia's eyes were peering untrustingly towards the gloomy sky, ready to reach into her bag and pull out her limited edition pink Chappy umbrella should it so much as drizzle.

The doctor smirked. It was evident that his best friend was less than pleased by the approaching storm. Knowing her, she probably couldn't wait for autumn and winter- her two favourite seasons, to set in.

Rukia hated summer and rainy days with a vengeance. He recalled the time when they went to California for a short break to visit the twins and fought hard to hide his amusement. She had complained day in, day out about the sizzling temperature, opting to instead escape to the beach during the heated season, under the protection of her trusty friend, Mr. Sunblock of course or simply stay indoors with the air conditioners on 24/7- not very environmental friendly at all- which was probably why she was so pale to begin with.

It was therefore ironic, that he thought that the afternoon sun brought out the woman in Rukia Kuchiki. In his humble opinion, summer holidays and afternoons with a sizzling hot temperature always brought out the best of her feminine beauty.

During their vacation, the beach became their second temporary residence. Rukia wore flowing, loose sun dresses, tied her hair into a sloppy ponytail with a colourful bandana or foulard and wore none of those hideous high heels she adored to death, opting instead for plain flip flops as they walked on the sandy shores of the beach, stopping only for the occasional ice-cream- because she claimed, and he quoted 'that the weather was too damn hot for anyone to be acting pretty'.

Well, he personally begged to differ because he thought that she was the prettiest when she didn't bother to dress up. The glaring sun and the high temperature brought out the best of her. Under the hot sun, Rukia isn't the untouchable ice statue of a Kuchiki princess- emotionless and aloof. She's just human. Hot, sweaty, and just a tad bit, to do his best friend justice, sexy.

Besides, his best friend wasn't just 'acting' pretty. Rukia Kuchiki was plain beautiful to begin with- inside and out- even if she was a pain at times.

.

"Ichigo, are you okay?"

Rukia was standing in front of him, hands on her hips as she regarded him with concern. He cleared his throat loudly, slightly uncomfortable with the look she was giving him and his previous train of thoughts.

Thank God, human beings couldn't read minds. Just imagine the awkwardness between him and Rukia if they could.

Ichigo held out the jacket and name card to her.

"I'm fine," he told her. Rukia nodded somewhat absent-mindedly at his reply with her attention focused solely on the address on the name card.

"Well, her office didn't seem to be too far from here," she mumbled as she pocketed the card into her hand bag. "Dinner later?"

"Sorry I can't. I'm on call."

She shrugged. "It's okay. I understand."

Rukia had scarcely made 10 steps away from him before she suddenly whirled around and met his gaze.

"Ichigo?"

He raised his eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Biting her lips, she hesitated before drawing in a deep breath. And then in a calm voice she said, "I just want you to know that I approve of her."

"What?" he asked as he frowned. What exactly did the midget approved of? As far as he's concerned, he never needed her approval in anything.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about Yoruichi Shihoin, space cadet."

He grew even more puzzled. "Why would she need your approval? It's not like we're da- _Oh._ "

The pointed look on her face finally made the last puzzle fit into place as he realized what his best friend was implying.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes and scoff at her brilliant deductions.

"Yoruichi and I are not dating," he said.

"But then why did you- why did she- I mean the jacket and you were acting weird-"

The rest of her mumbling trailed away as he walked over to her and lifted her chin up, tilting her heart-shaped face towards his gaze.

He sighed, tucking her signature stray bang behind her ear.

"Rukia," he began- his voice soft and lulling. "Yoruichi is a friend," he frowned and then added, "Scratch that, make her an associate of an associate. But you?"

He stared deep into her eyes.

"You are my best friend, my _nakama_ ," he continued in the same tone, never once shirking away from her gaze. "And as Cristina would have said, you're my person. How can anybody in the world, no- in the entire universe compete with that?"

.

Despite her best guarded expression and the years of drama-acting she had been subjected to in the Kuchiki household, she couldn't help but feel the corners of her lips twitching upwards. Her best friend can be so sweet at times.

How exactly was she supposed to steel her heart and not feel touched by such an honest and sweet statement?

And more importantly, how exactly was anyone going to come up with an answer for that?

Being the innovative heiress that she was, Rukia settled for whacking him lightly on the chest. Instinctively, Ichigo flinched upon contact, yelping slightly. He scowled, jumping away from her as he did.

"What the heck was that for, midget?!"

"For being an idiot."

Sniffing haughtily, she made a dramatic show of turning her heels and marching confidently towards the opposite direction as she walked away. The familiar click-clacks against pavement however paused as soon as she was out from his line of vision. Turning the suspicious jacket around, she gave it a thorough examination, ignoring the curious stares coming from several passer-bys.

There was a comical _'Aha!'_ moment for her when she finally found what she was looking for.

Smirking, it took all of her willpower not to just throw her head back and guffaw as she continued her journey. Some would say that she was glowing- her smile radiating like the perfect beacon of happiness.

Her heart was so light and free that her body felt practically weightless as she sashayed her way towards her car- a big ear-to-ear grin plastered on her lips that was so wide and beamish that it made her cheeks hurt.

That _baka_ forgot to cut off the price tag!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Versace makes an appearance later- don't say I didn't warn you. 
> 
> _She's my person. If I murdered someone, she's the person I'd call to help me drag the corpse across the living room floor. She's my person. – Dr. Cristina Yang_
> 
> Face claim: IU  
> K-drama fans have you guys watched _Hotel del Luna_? NGL aesthetics goal and in my head, Rukia would be the perfect CEO.
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter- y'all have no idea how much I fiddled around with the whatsapp feature. XD I forgot how much I love Grey's Anatomy and the inaccuracies in the show vs real life. Still- fun times.


	6. Love Paint

_~Rukia~_

Damn him for thinking he had a say in the wall colours just because:  


A) He claimed to be her best friend.  
B) He's the only guest in her house who actually slept in her guestroom.  
C) He hated Chappy and the colour pink. Pink? Can you imagine! The fool had no taste.  


Wait- what's going on with Ishida-san?  


... Never mind. 

* * *

_Ding!_

* * *

Expensive Italian-made loafers stepped out of the elevator in La Belle. Obsidian beads darted instinctively to the wristwatch on his left hand as Uryuu Ishida emerged- cool and composed as ever while wearing an immaculately ironed button-up and a pair of grey slacks.

The shoes tapped against the parquet flooring as the bespectacled raven-head took measured and precisely-timed steps across the hall. 

His eyes swept across the hall, and with a keen, observant nature- quick to take note of the various elaborate symmetrical ornamentation decorating the plush six story apartment building. 

From the mosaic-like parquet flooring under his feet to the burgundy linen draperies that found themselves adorning the large window overlooking the parks and streets, there was little doubt that La Belle had lived up to its reputation- offering occupants and visitors alike, the distinct blend of the old Baroque grandeur and of modern chic elegance. 

With every step he took, he hugged in turn, the package tighter against his chest. He was on a special delivery service today and inside the package was a little cocktail dress. 

Styled with Victorian-style black and cream color combinations, the bodice of the short dress was made from chiffon while layers after layers of the flowing tulle tiers added volume to the skirt. Figure hugging lace trimmed the waist, neckline and shoulder straps of the smocked ivory-hued bodice with the ending, a little above the knees. 

Being both a part-time tailor with a guaranteed client-satisfactory reputation and an attentive psychiatrist working at the _Seattle Grace Mercy West_ , Uryuu Ishida had an uncanny ability of 'reading' people. He could tell what their preferences were, how they behaved, what their choice of apparels were and sometimes during the process, he could even dig out their darkest and best kept secrets. 

It was this ability coupled with the years he had spent befriending and tailoring the clothes for this particular client and future owner of one of his best creations yet, that gave him all the assurance he would ever need regarding her interest in the dress sealed inside the package he held. 

He had no doubts at all that Rukia Kuchiki would love his flawless design. His two-month labour and the sleepless nights he spent on finishing it will not be in vain. Taking a swift turn to his left, apartment 0211 came into view. 

He stopped. 

Intimidating oaken double panels stood before him as he reached his destination. Shifting the package, he was just about to push the doorbell when he couldn't help but overhear something coming from behind the doors. 

He strained his ears- pressing himself against the door as the muffling grew louder and soon became audible. 

* * *

_You're doing it all wrong, Rukia!  
_

_Shut up, strawberry! You're not the one stretching yourself beyond the human body limit!_

_Well it's not easy for me either, you witch! With your tight s–_

_Don't you dare finish that sentence, Ichigo! I demand we take a break!_

_Fine then! We'll take five._

* * *

The psychiatrist almost dropped his parcel. W-what exactly were the two doing?

Could it really be -

He leaned in closer.

* * *

_God, my body's so sore and worn out! I can't even lift a finger! But my **walls** aren't even **pink** yet! Ichigo, this is all your fault!_

* * *

Uryuu turned red. Dear God, must they be so graphical?

And Rukia-san, who would have thought that she would be so explicit and um… _hardcore_?

Uryuu adjusted the lenses sitting on the bridge of his nose. His thoughts trailed off, leaving his face alternating between a shade of green and white as he resisted the urge to simply bolt and run off to the same direction where he came from. He always thought Orihime-san was being too imaginative in saying that there was something going on between Kurosaki and Rukia-san.

He shuddered. Well, he stood corrected. There was definitely something going on between those two.

Something loud, extremely non-platonic and ends with '-ex'.

* * *

_Oi! Don't go blaming everything on me, you sadistic midget! As I recall, you were the ones who talked us into **it** in the first place!_

_So now you're accusing me of **pressuring**?_

_Well, you were the one who brought **it** up!_

_I thought we'd enjoyed doing **it** together!_

* * *

He winced as a loud and sure to be, violent scene interjected the conversation. He shuddered at the scenes playing in his mind.

Uryuu readjusted his lenses. He was never **ever** going to look at them the same way ever again.

* * *

_  
Okay, fun's over. Come on, on your feet!_

_Ichigo, we just did **it** minutes ago! I'm still tired._

_Well a few minutes ago, you were all about to pull off my hair and threatened to actually **punish** me so painfully that I'll **beg** you to stop if we didn't finish it on time!_

_Ichigo! Stop it! It **hurts**._

_ICHIGO!_

* * *

Outside, Uryuu visibly paled. The knuckles were clenched so tight that they appeared colourless. He was trained since young to obey a certain code of honour among men. He made it his point to be chivalrous and assist anyone, especially poor, defenseless women in distress.

Damn that Kurosaki and his libido!

And his inability to keep quiet!

A determined gleam entered his eyes. This was all Kurosaki's fault!

Quickly surmising the situation, he assumed the best plan of 'rescue' was to first break down the heavy oak doors in front of him.

Looking at the intimidating size of the door, he couldn't help but gulp. It would also probably take him a few hard throws before the door would even budge by an inch. And it was definitely going to leave stains on his clothes and bruises on him.

But for Rukia-san's sake, he steeled himself to be brave and stared the obstacle down.

Popping the knuckles and doing a light stretch, Uryuu took in a deep breath as he focused his attention on the looming task. Cradling the package protectively against his chest, he threw himself against the wooden door- slamming his full weight against it.

.

. 

Now, Uryuu Ishida was by all means a practical man.

And upon his first decision to break the door down, there had to be at least tens of thousands of possibilities and outcomes going through his mind.

Among these carefully formulated plans and workings, he had not however, expected at first try to find the door unlock and slightly ajar.

So imagine his surprise when he found the doors swinging open unresistingly to his strong push-

And his embarrassment as he found himself lying prostrate on the wooden flooring with two pairs of eyes staring unabashedly at him.

.

"Ishida-san? What are you doing down there?" asked Rukia curiously.

The question effectively knocked him out of his embarrassment-induced state. Recovering to his senses, he immediately picked himself up, ready to save her from the clutches of evil itself, but of course that was before he saw the layers of newspapers and buckets filled with paint covering the floor tiles in the empty guestroom.

A ladder was propped up by the sides while the left side of the guestroom wall was coated with pink but the other side remained stark white- the original wall colour.

He glanced around him.

Unsurprisingly, all the furniture that used to belong in the guestroom were moved and spread out in the living room. To his right, there was a plain single bed with the nightstand beside it while the antique armoire was laid next to it.

He gulped and finally forced himself to look at the pair. He had fully-expected them to be frantically disentangling from each other and scrambling for abandoned clothing. But of course as with what had happened to his earlier 'deductions', instead of two individuals, naked as the day they were born scrambling for clothes, he was greeted by the sight of fully-clothed man and woman who wore additional white aprons that had dirty blotches of pink stain.

Kurosaki stood tall and surprised. His fingers were pinching or rather pulling Rukia-san's rosy cheeks. Both of them turned to stare at him- amazed and shocked.

Two and two made four.

Uryuu had immediately opened his mouth to speak out what he had assumed but no words, coherent or otherwise came out. He just stood there gaping, repeating the motion of opening his mouth, frowning, shaking his head and more frowning.

No words could be said, he realized without indirectly causing grief or discomfort to all three parties.

.

"Oi, four-eyes! Stop standing there with your mouth open! You look like a goldfish!"

Uryuu was just about to give a snappy retort when he saw Rukia-san turned and with a nasty scowl, kicked Kurosaki in the shins.

Rubbing his bruised shins, the brazen haired doctor grimaced before snarling. "What the fuck is your problem now, midget! What was that for?"

"You forgot to lock the door, you idiot!" she hissed as she glared hotly at her best friend.

"So?"

Rukia rolled her eyes in exasperation. "SO? So what if instead of Ishida-san, a burglar came in!"

"Che! I could take him down with just one karate-chop," answered Ichigo dismissively.

"Not if he's pointing a gun to your head!" she argued.

He scowled. "Well then, I'm sure Mr. Burglar would scare himself to death just from the sight of the goddamned ugly pink abomination called your wall before he could even pull the trigger."

"Pink," Rukia replied indignantly, stomping her feet, "is NOT ugly! It's Chappy's favourite colour!"

Ichigo scoffed. "Yeah, and the fact that he's about the gayest thing in the world next to your stick-in-the-ass brother, makes it all so reassuring."

"If I could just point out that-" interjected Uryuu hopefully-

"How dare you insult Nii-sama and Chappy! They're manlier than you would ever be!"

Ichigo snorted, amused by her comment. "By whose standards, midget! Yours?"

"Why you little-"

Snarling, the petite and lithe Rukia-san somehow managed to tackle a grown man twice her size onto the newspaper-covered floor and proceeded to straddle his hips. Uryuu adjusted his lenses. It was a good thing that she was wearing pants then because Rukia-san had her hands spread on the front of Kurosaki's chest and both pairs of gazes were interlocked.

Uryuu gave a dry cough. That looked way too much like the beginnings of passionate sex scenes in movies.

Of course instead of a sensual X-rated scene of porno-styled foreplay between two passionate lovers playing out before his eyes, Uryuu was greeted by the sight of the woman raining down tiny wrathful punches down on the straddled doctor.

A doctor who made little hesitations in expressing his displeasure.

"Get off of me, midget!"

"Don't call me midget!"

Standing by the sidelines, Uryuu couldn't help but stare at the interaction between the two friends, as they began to issue each other death threats and traded insults over a pink wall.

He was completely ignored by both of them!

He shook his head. He had originally wanted to point out the fact that La Belle offered a security tighter than Gitmo and the chances of a thief- much less a burglar breaking and entering was pretty much close to zero.

But-

Oh well. Never mind.

Kurosaki and Rukia-san were practically inches away from each other. Any normal pair of platonic friends as they claimed themselves to be would have noticed that and flinched due to the severe lack of personal space.

But apparently, the bespectacled doctor narrowly dodged a flying ball of crumpled newspaper as the two began arguing back and forth with each other, these two had no problem being so invasive and intrusive of each other's personal space.

He caught sight of yellow post-it notes and a pen lying on the coffee table. Creeping past the arguing couple, he made his way over. Uryuu calmly tore a post-it and left Rukia-san a message before sticking it on to the parcel. After that, he simply left the parcel on the table and made his way towards the door.

Sighing, the much-ignored psychiatrist shot another glance at the fighting pair before giving a wry smile as he shut the door properly and walked away. And as the door shut, he wondered exactly how long it would take for the pair to finally notice him.

He smirked.

Probably never. With luck, they won't even remember him showing on Rukia-san's doorstep and stumbling over his own words.

He nodded to himself. They definitely need to resolve the overwhelming sexual tension between them.

Soon.

Or they'll probably set themselves on fire from the intense emotions or worse-case scenario, suffocate to death from it. He paused, tapping his finger against his chin while he waited for the elevator. That wasn't such a bad idea. Maybe he should start a paper on them:

UST: How it affects an heiress, an idiot and the ones around them.

.

. 

"PINK!"

"Burgundy!"

"PINK!"

"Mauve!"

"Damn it, stop arguing with me already!" snarled Rukia venomously. Her bundled fists showed no signs of retreating as she began to stage another full frontal attack on the enraged doctor trapped underneath her.

"We've already painted half of the room pink. You want to undo our efforts-" she checked the clock- "for the past six hours!"

Ichigo gritted his teeth together as he forced out his next sentence and at the same time fended himself from another incoming punch. "You think that's hard? I've been trying to get a point through that thick midget head of yours for the past six hours! How do you think I feel?"

Rukia scowled. "It's **MY** house. I can paint it any colour I want!"

Ichigo changed tactics, managing to grab hold of both her wrists and avoid her sharp clawing fingernails before answering.

"Well I'm the live-in tenant!"

She stilled her fists. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he gritted out as he held on to the wrists.

She proceeded to give him an incredulous glare before resuming the attacks. "That doesn't even make sense! I don't see your name on the property lease! Nor do I have one as a matter of fact!"

"Rukia," he said, "I practically live here. Not stick-in-the-ass Byakuya, not Renji! **ME**! I sleep here. I wake up and eat your food. There's a wardrobe here for my clothes. Heck, you even do my laundry and I have my own toothbrush here!"

"Well then, Kurosaki," Rukia spat out from the clenched teeth as she tried to free her wrists. "Maybe I should consider letting you pay me!"

He unwittingly loosened the tight hold when he saw the welling tears in her eyes. Guilt festered inside him.

"Rukia," he started. "I'm your best friend, not just a tenant! Doesn't that entitle me to at least some choice in choosing the wall colours?"

"NO!" she said forcefully as she wriggled and squirmed against him, rubbing herself against him unintentionally with her constant struggle to free her wrists. He scowled. It was bad enough that the air conditioner was out of commission for today and they had to do the painting without any cooling system, his best friend- the annoying little twerp she is now decided to aggravate his situation by practically sticking herself on to his sweaty skin.

And not to mention, her movements making several dangerously close calls to his crotch. He shut his eyes and counted backwards from 10, resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose as he tried to make sense of the stupid ridiculous stirrings starting from the pit of his stomach and nether regions.

He growled menacingly, but she apparently paid no heed to his warning.

"Stop that, midget!"

Rukia's eyes flashed angrily. "Make me!"

That's it. Ichigo could take it no more from the pint-sized authoress as he glared at her.

"You know what, Rukia," he growled, "I am sick of this! This is a Saturday. We should be watching a movie, catching up with the others, working; not painting this goddamned ugly room in that fucking pink abomination!"

With that, he picked himself up from the newspaper-covered floor, releasing her wrists and ignored the almost non-existent weight of his best friend pressing against him, causing her to drop onto the floor as he rose to his feet.

Landing ungracefully on her butt, Rukia didn't even bother to disguise her underlying anger as she fumed from his unjust treatment of her.

"What kind of friend drops their best friend on the floor?" she muttered as she rubbed her sore wrists before turning to face Ichigo. "Anyway, you can't do that because you promised to help me paint the room. And according to my schedule, I'm only free on Saturday!"

He snapped. He didn't want to, didn't mean to; but the mention of the word 'schedule' triggered a deep, malicious outburst from him. Boiling rage burned him as the callous words came out with no forms of restrain and control.

" _Fuck_ your schedule, Rukia! It's always your schedule these days! You can't call because you're so goddamn busy. You won't even pick up the phone after I called you and left over fucking 27 messages. You won't answer the bloody door when I stood outside with the take-outs because you aren't even home! On a Sunday! Rukia! You're **always** home on Sunday nights. And you know what else, Rukia! I'm fucking leaving!"

Ichigo left her standing with her mouth agape and body frozen from the heated outburst as he made his way to the door. Dainty fingers clenched and unclenched themselves as the words made their impact, indenting themselves in Rukia's heart and soul.

She recovered just as he was about to set his foot outside. Taking one shaky step in front of the other, she broke into a run as she speeded towards the door, managing to grab hold of Ichigo's sleeve before the door closed. He froze but didn't shake her off. She took it as a sign for her to continue.

She cast her head down, ashamed as she pulled harder at the sleeves. Tugging it childishly, she asked in a quiet voice. "Are you sulking?"

He growled, a deep rumble coming from his chest as he refused to meet her gaze. "No, I'm not!"

She chuckled at his response; while it may sound threatening and scary to others, to her, it simply proved to her that her best friend was being a big baby and throwing another one of his childish tantrums. God, he can be such a pain and a whiny baby, but well she supposed that's what friends; no, she corrected herself, that's what best friends are for!

And lately, she hadn't been a very good one. The raven-haired authoress concentrated her line of vision on the floor, biting her lips- afraid of pushing him too far before steeling her resolve and proceeded to pull harder at the sleeves, forcing him to step back into the condo while she silently shut the door behind him.

Lifting her head up, Rukia tilted her head high to get a better view of him. The evening sun highlighted his mop of neon orange hair, casting a golden sheen on his charismatic features. The most prominent feature being of course, his warm eyes that glimmered softly under the light.

She sighed.

He was so much taller than her that sometimes it was a wonder to herself how she managed to make him do her bidding. She curled her delicate digits around his callous ones and felt him flinch from the sudden contact- a sharp involuntary intake of breath as he did.

Her lips formed a thin line. To be perfectly honest, Rukia didn't like it any more than he did. Between them, intentional skin against skin contacts were sparse and few because every time they did touch, she herself felt a tingle, a rush of some unexplainable excitement running down her spine that burned- something so indefinable that it frightened her, but this time she didn't drop the gaze or the hold.

In a calm voice, she commanded him to look at her. He faced her gaze levelly.

She held on to his hand. Her cold hand melted against his warm palm, giving her the push to continue.

"I'm sorry I haven't been much of a friend lately. And I'm sorry. I guess I got pretty caught up in my work, being new and all at _Meow!Meow!_. I'm sorry, Ichigo."

He snorted, but she tactfully ignored it.

"I'm sorry that I was being such a jerk and ignoring you because my schedule. I know you would never ignore me unless of course you're on call or attending to some emergency." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"I promise that I'll call you at least once a day, bake you muffins at least once a month and-" she smirked playfully- "reply every single voice mail you left me. So next time you better think twice before leaving 27 voice mails, okay strawberry?"

He gave her a thin smirk and she returned it with her mega-watt grin.

"Does that mean that I'm forgiven?" she prompted.

He scoffed and instead of answering her, wrapped his arms around her slim waist as he pulled her into a hug. Her heart beat rapidly as she was lifted in the air by his arms. She gasped and unwittingly took in a strong whiff of cinnamon, coffee and sanitizers- something she had come to associate with Ichigo over the years.

She should know how sweaty they both were after spending so much time painting. And the last thing she needed was to get coated in someone else's sweat, but as of the moment she couldn't care less.

Rukia gave only a few seconds of hesitation before leaning back against him. Despite not being much of a physically affectionate person, she let the moment slide as she boldly rested her head on his shoulder and sighed contently.

His broad shoulders were really comforting and whenever she felt that the Kuchiki elders were draining her brain cells or that her work and writer's block started getting out of hand, she would find herself greeted by the sight of his shoulders. He's the shoulder for her to lean on, always.

Rukia shut her eyes, feeling as though time had frozen. She could stay here forever.

.

. 

"Does this mean we get to paint the room in another colour?"

She rolled her eyes. Of course Ichigo being the idiot he is, just had to choose that exact moment to spoil the heartwarming scene by inserting a completely unneeded interjection.

The spell was shattered as she began to disentangle herself from his embrace, feeling slightly miffed about the sudden plunge in temperature as she made her way back into the empty room, closely followed by the lanky doctor.

"Don't you ever know when to give up?" she asked in a mildly annoyed tone as she grabbed a brush and began to ascend the ladder, balancing herself precariously on it.

Ichigo sniggered. Mimicking her actions, he grabbed both a bucket of pink paint and a discarded paintbrush on the floor. He was just about to dip the brush in the pink dye when he sudden remembered something, causing him to drop the brush onto the newspapers.

"Ishida!" he exclaimed suddenly, startling his elfin best friend to almost miss her steps.

Regaining her balance, she turned and asked sourly. "What about him?"

He frowned. A deep thoughtful look on his face was evident by his scrunched up eyebrows. "Wasn't he here just now?"

Her eyes widened. "He was?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May the Fourth be with you.
> 
> Chocolate chip cookies for those who guessed correctly what 'tight s-' is.  
>  (Grinning Face )  
>  (Don't be naughty, you guys!)


	7. I Wasn't Expecting That

_~Ichigo~_

He hated attending any formal or semi-formal events as her date because:  


A) He's forced to wear an actual tie and tux.  
B) More often than not, her precious Nii-sama would be there.  
C) He was called in most of the time as the last minute resort. The little midget had always managed to somehow conveniently forget certain details in the invitation. And he was her last option.  


Not that he was actually fantasizing about going as her date in the first place of course. 

Nope- the thought never even crossed his mind. 

* * *

"Remind me again why I'm doing this," Ichigo grumbled irritably as his best friend- standing on her tip toes, began to spin and loop the span of burgundy silk into a tie.

"Will you please hold still?" hissed Rukia, her nimble fingers were tense and busied themselves with the task of adjusting the red tie to suit their wearer- a very stubborn wearer who acted like a petulant child when it came to ties. 

Honestly what kind of grown men wouldn't know how to knot a tie? 

Brown eyes peered down at the offending chokehold around his neck and the dainty fingers involved in the tedious process. Ichigo frowned, contemplating several discreet ways of loosening the tie without getting caught or smacked by the pint-sized authoress. 

"Don't even think about it, strawberry!" said Rukia through clenched teeth as violet irises burned with such luminous intensity that they scathed him. "I have worked too damn hard for this." 

Another loop. 

"You are not going to ruin my sacrifice for having to sit perfectly still for the past 5 hours while Ran-chan and Yumi applied god-knows-what-on my face and body!" 

A hard jab on the chest. 

"You are not going to ruin everyone's efforts. Tonight has got to be absolutely perfect!" 

And without giving him any time for response, Rukia had viciously drawn the knot up against his Adam's apple. He scowled, rubbing the bruising skin tenderly. 

Now he knew why the ancient aristocrats sometimes committed suicides with the help of a silk cord. The scowl on his face deepened. He could very well die from strangulation himself! 

The doctor shot his best friend a dirty look only to be greeted by the sight of her rolling eyes. 

"You'll live," she said casually. 

His eyebrow twitched. "I can't believe I'm spending my first Saturday night off in months attending a Kuchiki dinner party as your date! Why didn't you pick someone else? You know I hate attending these things," he grumbled sullenly while cuffing the links on his black coat. 

"Be thankful I didn't make you wear a bow-tie or a tweed suit. It's either this or take outs," she huffed, "It's your choice!" 

He took note of her 5-inch high red _Marc Jacobs_ and promptly decided to hold his tongue. With the well-being of his shins in mind, he bit his tongue hard and instead glared hotly at his reflection on the polished metal sides of the elevator. 

Scowling darkly, Ichigo ran a hand through his vibrant shock of orange locks, tousling them as he did and soon enough directed his attention back to his tuxedo. 

His _Giorgio Armani_ of the night was a last-minute ensemble by Rukia and that effeminate friend/stylist of hers called Yumi or something, who was also apparently a very nouveau metrosexual, but not gay (could've fooled him) fashion designer. Rukia practically had to bribe that man with her famous apple pie dessert to get the stylist to put his extraordinary skills to the test and dress Ichigo to the best _à la mode_ clothing that money can buy. 

Not that Ichigo needed much transformation to begin with, assured the confident aesthete and seeing how the end result was so satisfying to all, Ichigo supposed the man did deserve some credits. 

A black silk jacket was draped over his white cotton dress shirt. Its lapels and inner coating faced with a smooth layer of ruby red silk, a shade of red not unlike the current chokehold on his neck and the red Gucci purse his best friend held. The wool and satin trousers were of the same design as the jacket. As for shoes, he had traded his everyday wear- his comfy worn-in loafers for a pair of classic black patent leather lace-ups. 

But of course let's not forget- there was the matter of a missing cummerbund and the lack of a bow-tie for a tux to address. And, he smirked- he still couldn't believe his best friend had lost in a verbal argument, much less an argument over clothes and accessories. 

* * *

_Standing at the sidelines, Ichigo couldn't help but feel like a mannequin- silent, mute and the general 'let's- play-dress-up' Ken doll whose opinion meant pretty much nothing. He stifled a yawn._

_"The shirt looks better with cummerbund. It's a **FORMAL** event, Yumi," growled the authoress as she waved the black sash in front of the fashion conscious man. _

_Yumichika shook his head, clucking his tongue like a mother hen. "Rukia, best-selling authoress you may be, fashionista you are not. Honey, your friend-" he gestured to the bored-looking Ichigo leaning against the pillar, his hands behind his mass of flaming mane- the classic stance of a bored man forced on a shopping spree- "has the body of a Greek god," he strolled towards the doctor._

_"What the hell!"_

_Brown amber eyes shot up alarmingly as the effeminate stylist patted his cheeks condescendingly._

_"Such high cheekbones!"_

_Ichigo's eyebrow twitched._

_"Such a strong jaw," Yumichika grasped the lower half of his face within his grasp and was squeezing the cheeks –as well as poking them. For such a skinny looking man, the guy sure had a tight grip._

_Yumichika boldly leaned closer until his face was practically an inch away from the neurosurgeon as he scrutinized the latter's rugged good looks, tilting it from side to side before announcing, "Sans the frowns and premature wrinkles because of them, he would actually look quite a lot like Jensen Ackles."_

_Needless to say, Ichigo was less than pleased, especially when the stylist deemed it appropriate to run his pale hands on the doctor's chest. "And with such a chiseled chest that a woman would love to wash her clothes on," the man crooned with a sigh and pretty much swooned- making Ichigo cringe._

_Rukia cleared her throat and almost immediately the stylist was back on his two good feet acting with extreme professional indifference as he gilded his way back to Rukia's side. Ichigo fought down a shudder. The quick change in manners and temperament of the stylist was blood-chilling._

_"Hon, face it- your friend here is a hunk," the stylist sighed dreamily. "Are you sure you're completely straight?" he asked as his expression turned sly._

_Ichigo wasn't exactly sure whether he should be horrified or otherwise. And without even waiting for his response, Yumichika was already firing away._

_"Cummerbunds," Yumi twirled a lock of hair absentmindedly with his index finger, "are like so last season." He grabbed a peak-collared cotton dress shirt and carmine silk tie from the racks of clothes before turning his attention back to them._

_"Dressing him up in cummerbunds and bow tie-" he frowned-"would be equivalent to trying to match up James Bond in hippies slacks." The effeminate man winced, as if disgusted by the mental image portrayed in his mind while the other two blinked and deadpanned._

_Ichigo was personally torn between the decision to reach for his phone to call '911' before getting the hell out of here or stick around for his best friend's sake. "Such a waste of perfect sexiness and masculinity," he snatched the sash angrily away from the shell-shocked heiress._

_"Hey!"_

_"No!"Yumichika stated loudly, determination set once again in his eyes. "This waste of beauty is unacceptable!"_

_Both Ichigo and Rukia stared up at him, a blanch look on their faces as they watch the enraged designer tugged the sash with such desperate force that his knuckles turned colourless._

_"I will not allow cummerbunds to zap away Ichigo-san's positive sexiness. This is too unbeautiful," he declared and in a sudden display of strength, the sash was reduced to two ripped shreds as Yumichika turned and forced the full brunt of his Medusa-like gaze on to the Kuchiki heiress._

_"He **must** wear this shirt and tie," he shoved the two pieces of clothing into the woman's face, "and he absolutely **MUST NOT** tuck in his shirt." _

_Rukia took in the sight of the shredded garment and the fierce look of determination upon the intimidating stylist. She visibly gulped before holding her hand out._

_"Deal."_

__

__

Okay, so Ichigo admitted that he didn't look half bad in a tux.

Jeans and T-shirts accentuated his suaveness and the chiseled planes and contours of his body but in a tux, God- in a tux, he looked a like a sleek, prowling wild panther- dangerous, lethal and simply oozing sensual appeal to the opposite sexes, again Yumi-something's words- not his.

He turned his body sideways and nodded with satisfaction at the sight. If he ever made the transition to become Godfather, well, he shrugged- at least he'll look like a real badass mobster with a mouth-drooling body to die for.

"Oi! You done admiring yourself yet, Narcissus?"

The snappy remark had jolted him from his reverie. Taking his attention away from the makeshift mirrors, he smirked. "Don't tell me you're pissed off because you lost an argument?"

She glared daggers at him. Best friend or not, Ichigo can be a real insensitive and did she mention unsupportive, jerk at times.

"Shut up," she muttered. She took a calming breath, balling her fists against the semi-transparent tulle as she focused her attention on evening out her breathing.

Her left hand reached up to finger the string of white pearls tied along her neck- a generous gift from her brother when she had published her first book, while glaring at the flashing number displayed on top of the elevator double panels.

She held her breath, and just when she thought she was about to die from the sheer lack of oxygen-

* * *

_Ding!_

* * *

The looming doors slid open.

It revealed to her what she had already expected. As usual, the ballroom was large (the bigger the better, or so the Kuchiki philosophy went) and filled with people. Its looming ceiling was high and decorated with paintings of uniquely detailed fresco. The dangling crystal chandelier hanging from it merely accented the room's grandeur.

She looked down to the floor and noticed the rich red texture of the carpet beneath her feet. Outside the elevator, they were replaced by neatly cut marble tiles. Outside, a wide, dominating sight of the imperial staircase greeted her. Gleaming in the light, the banisters took up the gilded sheen of gold and she could plainly see the people traipsing on the floor above.

There were painted ladies, dolled up in rich satin and mink coats- giggling, simpering, gossiping and exchanging insults amidst pleasantries. There were mustached and bespectacled men with curvaceous and provocatively dressed girls clinging desperately close while they watched their man drawled on and on about business ventures Rukia was sure that most of them have never even heard of.

The fair-skinned heiress frowned- stilling her movements.

How long had she been out of touch with this part of her- the fancy private schools, etiquette lessons, dinner galas; this entirely different world of hidden smiles and well-aimed insults, draped in the finest furs and silk money could procure but dripped with the foulest malice that only the rich and powerful could have the power to comprehend?

Why was it that they seemed a lifetime away when she was with Ichigo?

This was something she had grown up with, being schooled and taught in the same lessons as any other member of upper society, the _beau monde_ \- her Kuchiki education had stepped in unbidden and helpfully supplied, would; but now as she stood with bated breath, she realized this was something as foreign to her as an well um… an aardvark, she supposed.

Gulping, her face turned pale as she sought out the reassuring gaze of her best friend. Offering her a thin smile, he reached for her hand and silently tucked it into the crook of his elbow.

For Nii-sama then.

It only took a few seconds for the cold digits to curl compliantly along the familiar arm. The warmth exuding from the gentle contact was instant relief.

Dark sooty eyelashes fluttered open- her eyes radiant and bright. She tightened the hold on Ichigo's arm, dropping the other to her side before plastering on her charming Kuchiki persona and signature smile.

Shooting him a grateful glance, she scarcely batted an eyelash as she followed his lead and exited the elevator, assuming the identity as the wealthy, extremely genteel and cultured goody-two-shoes heiress once more.

She was so much more than just _that_.

.

Ichigo on the other hand was not faring well. It might have taken Kuchiki heiress a few minutes to smack on her game face and play the perfect heiress, but for him? Well let's just say that Ichigo Kurosaki was a man with a deep seated paranoia of ties and social events.

He stuck out like a sore thumb in these elaborate dinner parties etiquette-wise.

He looked at his best friend. Out here, she was in her element- so calm and elegant as she sashayed her way through and carried herself off in that stunning black and cream tulle-tiered cocktail dress; the grace and poise in her lithe movements as befitting as any earth-bound angel.

The constant stream of warmth from Rukia at his side had helped lessened somewhat of his current situation, but something told Ichigo that tonight was not going to be a night of smooth sailing.

He was usually right.

.

"Ichigo, Nii-sama's there! Let's go and greet him!" said Rukia as she pulled him along by the hand, weaving their way through the throng of strangers that surrounded the elusive and aloof Kuchiki mogul.

Ichigo gulped. His fingers instinctively snatched a glass of half-filled liqueur from a passing waiter's tray before finishing the drink in a single gulp. The sting barely registered.

His mind was simply too far away, immersed too deeply in the Herculean task of being civil to his best friend's Nii-sama.

Byakuya hated him. And no, don't ask him why- because Ichigo sure as hell didn't know the answer.

All he could say that was for a universally known Ice Man of law and logic, the Kuchiki mogul can be a real irrational block of wood with a habit of ticking him off without fail.

Nope- the only consolation in Ichigo's situation was that both men knew that their hatred for each other was a mutual feeling.

The distance between them and the immaculately-groomed noble became dramatically shorter with every passing second. He clenched his left fist and forced his face into a smile with acting skills that made Rukia's pale in comparison, hoping to somehow defy the odds and (with much death threats from the mogul's beloved sister of course) be polite to the older Kuchiki.

A poke from Rukia shifted his attention back into the grand hall. "What are you doing?" asked Rukia, fairly annoyed.

He gritted his teeth. "Nothing. I'm not doing anything. What are you talking about, midget?"

Her eyebrow twitched and she _accidentally_ stepped on his foot. "Oh that was so clumsy of me, Ichigo. Are you okay?"

Making a show of inspecting his injuries, she bent him low to her level and hissed. "Lose that smile on your face. You look constipated."

He fumed. Really he went out of his way to be civil and smiled and this was the thanks he got? A retort was quick to take form at the tip of his tongue but Rukia was apparently not finished with the conversation.

"Just relax-" she adjusted his tie- "I'll be there to hold your hand, you big baby."

Suffice to say that the 'smile' on his face was quickly replaced with a fierce scowl. With a pat on his back and an almost apologetic smile, the duo resumed their journey and bravely tackled the task of weaving through the crowd and on Rukia's part, giving polite nods of acknowledgement to a thousand unfamiliar faces.

The sight of her best friend's scowl effectively deterred the advances of curious on-lookers and a few well-known Casanovas until they finally reached their destination.

"Nii-sama," greeted Rukia as the heiress called out to her brother. The ivory-coloured two-button bespoke tuxedo and the soft lavender-pink tie accented her brother's pale skin, fair features and sleek glossy hair- a trait shared by both Kuchiki siblings as they regarded each other.

Standing as inconspicuous as he could by Rukia's side, Ichigo grudgingly admitted that Byakuya greeted his only sister decidedly warmly by maintaining the small curve of lips long enough for it to be called a smile.

"Rukia," Byakuya greeted, "Delighted that you can make it to the party."

Rukia beamed.

"The pleasure is mine, Nii-sama. You are too kind in extending the invitation to me and my guest."

"Think nothing of it," answered Byakuya smoothly. "Siblings are to be acknowledged in public and in private as any family members should be, despite what other uncouth plebeians may think."

"Yes well, um… Ichigo would like to thank you for your invitation as well, wouldn't you Ichigo?" she asked before subtly elbowing her best friend at the ribs. Forced to join in on the conversation, the young doctor spared her a rude glare. The intensity of it increased as he forced himself to make eye contact with the slate-grey eyes of the Kuchiki noble.

As usual, he found them as cold as the December snow, twice as chilling and dripping with hints of animosity. He glanced as the noble's grip tightened along the stem of his champagne glass.

Nope- definitely no brotherly love there.

" _Byakuya_ ," gritted the doctor through clenched teeth, his lips set in a grim line.

" _Kurosaki_ ," came the stiff reply as the raven-haired noble.

Standing by the side, Rukia suppressed the urge to rub her throbbing temple.

Here they go again.

.

The two alpha males faced off against each other in a heated glaring contest. Each one as determined to stare the opponent down as the other. If one could draw an animal illustration of both, you would have seen two very feral wolves, hackles raised and poised for attack at the slightest provocation.

The tension in the air was almost palpable as Ichigo glowered and glared, while her brother stood rigid and silent, pretending to be the stolid block of ice with unblinking eyes he was rumoured to be.

"Ah yes, _Kurosaki_. I must say that I'm surprised to see you here. I simply cannot imagine how your patients in the hospital are coping with such a loss."

Ichigo snarled, "They're strong people, _Byakuya_. They'll manage."

Byakuya's eyebrow rose. "Oh really?"

"Yes," came the stiff reply as Ichigo's left eye twitched. " _Really_."

Rukia cleared her throat discreetly before hooking her arm around her best friend and smartly interjected. "Well would you look at the buffet table," she said in her sugary flake voice, simultaneously tugging at her best friend's arm, motioning him to play along and waved goodbye to her brother.

"Hey you little-"

"Come on, Ichigo-" she hissed before she clamped her hand on Ichigo's jaw as she pulled him away towards the delicacies-laden buffet tables- "It was very nice talking to you, Nii-sama."

"Mpphhh…hmpphh"

The oxygen deprived victim tugged sharply at his best friend's iron clamp on his face. God, he swore that if she didn't let go of his jaw soon, he was going to suffocate to death! And what did his best friend in the whole wide world do?

She ignored him.

"Would it _kill_ you to keep your thoughts to yourself for once, carrot-top and be polite to Nii-sama," she hissed. Her eyebrows were knitted in annoyance while she angrily strutted ahead of him.

The instant she had let go, the young doctor was gasping for air. Huffing and panting, Ichigo scowled as he noticed the disappearing figure of his petite friend.

"Oi! Wait up, Rukia!"

There was no reply.

Cursing under his breath, Ichigo jogged to keep up with the raven-haired heiress's brisk pace. "Slow down, will you midget?" he growled as they were now walking side by side. "It's not like I dunked his head into the toilet bowl or dropped his body into a sea of hungry piranhas or-"

Rukia gave him a pointed look.

"Not that I was thinking of doing it or anything," he finished lamely.

She scoffed, "As if you could even touch Nii-sama!"

Ichigo gave a light chuckle. "Yeah, you're right. I'd probably get tackled by security before I can do anything."

Rukia snorted.

The two shared a knowing look and laughed softly. Inwardly she shrugged. At least this time her best friend hadn't spilled red wine on Nii-sama's tuxedo. Improvements, however small- were still improvements.

They kept a leisure pace as they began to move further and further away from the huddling masses decked in silks and furs. Rukia kept her face blank save for the fake smile and an uneasy silence followed.

Ichigo let his gaze wander, frowning at how the guests were sampling and tasting the cuisines on the buffet table. Carefully, he cast a sideway glance at the proud aristocrats and business moguls who were trading business pleasantries among other things behind their easy beguiling smiles and booming laughs, deciding easily enough that if it weren't for his best friend- the party wasn't even worth his time.

Tugging the annoying chokehold on his neck, Ichigo shifted close to his best friend.

"Hey Rukia, let's go home. I'll rather watch Chappy reruns than staying her-"

* * *

_**"Rukia?"** _

* * *

Ichigo looked up and found himself face to face with a man who apart from the flashing pearly-whites, spiky raven black hair and aqua green eyes could have been mistaken for his identical twin.

He frowned. He didn't know he had a twin. And speaking of which, how did his 'twin' know his best friend?

Ichigo stopped in his tracks and noticed how tense Rukia seemed to be holding herself up by his side. He was genuinely surprised when he found her fingers curled against his wrist. His eyebrows furrowed deep.

He bent low to Rukia's height and whispered to her.

"Do you know this guy?"

Rukia was oddly speechless- opting to nod as a reply. Her fingers were squeezing his arm so tightly that he was afraid of it breaking. She gulped.

"K-K-Kaien-dono, is that really you?" asked the heiress quietly as her eyes zeroed in on the newcomer.

Ichigo frowned. He had never seen this man before.

"Ah," said the man, rubbing his nape before he threw a wide grin at their direction. "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Rukia?"

Ichigo didn't like the man at all. It was in his body language, it was in the easy smile on the stranger's face, it was in the way his tongue rolled to form the words 'Rukia'.

As any protective best friend would do in such a situation, Ichigo was about to flip the stranger a rude gesture and escort Rukia away from whoever the hell this 'Kaien' was when Rukia did the most unexpected thing of all.

The next thing Ichigo saw was a blur of movement by his side. His eyes widened and he promptly lost his ability to speak as his normally reserved best friend and the Princess of Etiquette threw herself at the stranger and wrapped her arms around his shoulder.

Ichigo's breath hitched and fisted his knuckles tightly.

This _cannot_ be happening!

.

. 

Ichigo Kurosaki was officially losing it.

Here he was sitting in the cocktail lounge as he entertained himself with his second shot of _Jack Daniels_ of the night. Downing the hard liquor in one gulp, he slammed the empty glass hard on the counter, causing the bartender to jump at the sound.

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, tousling them into tangled knots as he brought his attention back to the very much intimidated bartender. He squinted at the name tag before calling out.

"Hanatarou, another one. Now," he grumbled. He was far from drunk.

"Ummm, sir," began the timid bartender tentatively. "This is your third shot. M-M-Maybe you s-should um… slow down?"

Ichigo fixed him with a deep penetrating gaze and the perpetual scowl on his face deepened. Suffice to say that Hanatarou was only too eager to comply with his demands.

Gripping his new drink tight, he took a sip of the throat-scorching liquor before sighing. This was ridiculous, he thought as he took another sip of the whiskey.

Why was he getting so worked up about anyways? He should've known better.

This wasn't the first time Rukia hugged someone in public. She hugged Renji before and even then Ichigo didn't feel any urge to pound the red-head into a bloody pulp.

* * *

_Ah, but she didn't hug him in a room full of stuck-ups and nobles now, did she?_

* * *

Sometimes, Ichigo hated his mind- hated how the stupid thing just had to be so goddamn rational. But back to that insufferable bastard called 'Kaien', oh he had the strongest urge to wring the guy's neck, drown him, cut him with a dozen shallow cuts before pouring salt over them and then watch him die an agonizingly painful death from blood loss.

No- he amended his statement. Even then he still had an urge to resurrect him and castrate the man, dig out his eyes-

Well you got the idea.

He frowned upon noticing that the glass was empty again. His malicious intent must have shown on his face because Hanatarou immediately rushed forward to fill the glass.

But really, he thought- Just who the heck was this 'Kaien' dude?

Throughout their years as each other's best friend, Rukia had never once mentioned him, which was weird because they practically know everything about each other. His friends were hers and hers were his, well most of them anyway.

In fact she liked to introduce her friends to him, but with this 'Kaien'- all she had to say about the guy was 'it's complicated' like they're in some sort of reality TV drama shit before she disappeared to have a private conversation with whoever the hell this Kaien was.

From what he gathered, the two obviously have a 'history' together but to what extent exactly.

* * *

_Maybe they were lovers?_

* * *

The particular thought sent his heart churning in fits of spasms. Ichigo wished he could temporarily order his mind to just shut up and stop thinking. He breathed heavily and in turn gripped the glass harder.

So what if they were, he argued- Rukia was a grown woman, she had her free will. She was free to take up any lovers she wanted, who was he to say otherwise and it probably happened a long time ago.

* * *

_And there's nothing you can do about it, is there?_

* * *

His thoughts took an unusually bitter swerve at that and before he even realized it, he was already downing his fifth shot of the night. He blinked as hot tears sprang as the fiery beverage travelled down his throat. Ichigo's vision blurred from the effect of downing whiskeys in quick successions.

He chided himself, face palming for added effect.

* * *

_Shut up, stupid brain!_

* * *

He was just about to signal Hanatarou for a refill when a very much unappreciated presence appeared on the stool beside him.

He rolled his eyes. Up close, the man smelled like cherry-blossoms.

Could this night get any worse?

Looking at the newcomer's half-filled champagne flute in distaste, Ichigo couldn't help but scoff at his choice of drink.

"Is there something wrong with my drink, _Kurosaki_?"

"Just thinking whether I should order a _Cosmopolitan_ for you, that's all, Byakuya," he fired back with a smirk.

The noble gave a loud ' _hmph_ ' before he spoke. "I have something that might be of an importance to you, Kurosaki."

Ichigo snorted and was about to interject one of his smartass remarks but stopped when he saw the noble reach into his inner pocket and from there, produced a wallet-sized photograph.

Byakuya elegantly slid the photo across the counter to him before he coolly took a sip of the sparkling liqueur.

Squinting somewhat in the dim light, the first thing that Ichigo noticed was that the girl in the faded photo was obviously his then much younger best friend. Beaming at the camera, the little midget had her hair tied into two pigtails and wore a light green-yellow sundress- a certain air of childhood innocence surrounding her as her eyes brightened in mischief with her hair dancing in the wind.

He smirked, because even then the proud Kuchiki still had the same stray bang resting across her forehead with her almond-shaped eyes the same shade of (or maybe just a tad lighter) cerulean.

A smile came unwittingly but not unwelcomed on his lips. Some things, he thought- would never change.

The second he finished locating Rukia on the photograph however, his attention was taken up by the grinning boy standing beside her. The boy was older, already in his early teens compared to his best friend who was probably nine or ten at the time. Wearing a plain white T-shirt and jeans, he had his arm tossed across Rukia's shoulder.

Ichigo peered closer at the photo and froze. It was a boy with aqua green eyes (seaweed putrid, really- in his opinion) and black spikes for hair. But then that meant-

No, he shook his head. He was jumping into conclusions. There were probably hundreds or thousands of raven-heads with green eyes out there.

Who said it absolutely had to be 'Kaien'?

Take Ulquiorra Schiffer for instance. The recently transferred cardiologist fitted the profile too. But still, Ichigo cringed. The German was so stoical and emotionless that even the idea of him twitching the corners of his lips upwards was a stretch (no puns intended).

"Byakuya," he began. Uncertainty was laced in every single syllable he uttered. The mogul's dark grey eyes glanced at him dismissively and took another sip from his champagne flute.

Ichigo's fingers tightened around the glass cup. He himself had no idea whether the aloof noble would listen to his question and even bother answering it but he was willing to try.

"T-That little boy in the photo-" his tongue darted to lick his suddenly dried lips- "is he 'Kaien'?"

"Yes."

* * *

_Clash!_

* * *

The glass cup Ichigo held broke as he lost his grip. Fragments of delicate glass shards splintered and shattered as they made contact with the snug carpet of the ground. Hanatarou winced at the loud noise, clambering his way to get a broom before any of the patrons could injure themselves on the shards, leaving the two men to each other's company.

Unfathomable grey eyes watched on listlessly. The powerful mogul's face remained blank, schooled into perfect aloofness, stoic in his every feature as he regarded the broken glass coolly.

Beside him, Ichigo was uncharacteristically silent. Byakuya gave a barely audible sigh, his lips once again sealed as they came in contact with the cold glass and champagne.

Of all the idiots out there to fall in love with his sister, why did it have to be that stupid thick-headed orange dandelion, who's probably still in denial, that had even the slightest chance of deserving her?

He was quite adamant that the ginger head harboured something more than just ordinary platonic love for his younger sister.

But being that idiotic and slow person that the boy was, he probably hadn't even realized the true extent of his feelings for Rukia yet.

Now let's make this perfectly clear.

.

Did he, Byakuya Kuchiki, the esteemed 28th clan leader from the Kuchiki clan, CEO of _Kuchiki Corporations_ and _Senbonzakura Enterprise_ ever thought for one second that the fumbling sorry excuse of a man like Kurosaki would ever deserve a jewel like his sister?

Obviously, absolutely, definitely **not**!

Back then, he hoped that his sister would eventually find herself a soft-spoken suitor, one of a decent built and average looks but gifted with a keen intellect and a good character.

He cast a glance towards the brooding doctor.

That idiot was loud, rude, idiotic, unmannered, uncivilized and had the sensitivity of a boot; his sister was a very delicate flower that needed to be treated with care and love.

But-

He took another delicate sip. If this idiot made Rukia happy, well just who was he to object to that. Byakuya pursed his lips. His sister's happiness overrode his own insecurities and loss. Always has and forever will.

He promised her unconditional brotherly love and affection, enough to last lifetimes. This promise, he fully intended to keep.

Starting with his timely intervention between the two.

The idiotic fool of a buffoon and his innocently uncorrupted sister were never going to see past their own web of self-denial and realize their own affections for each other without a little boost. The boy was just so dense that Byakuya doubted the relationship would ever advance past the 'best friends' stage without a gentle push.

So, Byakuya relented- he'll give the two a chance and a _gentle_ push in the right direction.

With that being said however, he still found it easier said than done, especially when the right direction happened to be steering her away from him.

Even now, as he made his plan to 'push', his big brother senses were tingling- deploring him to forget the matter and let the two resolve the matter of hearts by themselves.

Upon their parents' demise, he had been given custody of his sister- charged with both her wellbeing and the existence of the sprawling Kuchiki Empire. For too long now, he had donned on the mantle of Rukia's guardian, elder brother and parent.

Byakuya grew accustomed to the role- managing the workings of the company and simultaneously, playing the role of an attentive elder brother. He had played his part so well that it was now inevitable for him to feel torn at the prospect of relinquishing his responsibility and care over Rukia. For twenty years, he had her to himself.

To suddenly leave her to someone else in his stead?

The very idea was unthinkable. Rukia was his only family, the sister more than a decade his junior- more like a daughter than a younger sister. She was all he had left of a family.

And to let her go, Byakuya bit his lips- it was a difficult notion to accept.

Of course, he knew that his little baby sister will grow up one day and become someone's bride/wife and eventually, mother. And he had told himself firmly and repeatedly, that when the time came for his sister to be married, Byakuya would lead her down the aisle himself and entrust his sister to her groom under the moonlight of what had to be the most memorable wedding of the millennium.

With the full edible ten-tier wedding cake, Mediterranean honeymoon and all the best wedding details that Kuchiki money and prestige could buy. He would spare no expenses and gladly foot the bill.

He was a smart man, he knew- he just did not realize that the time for that would arrive so soon, so suddenly. Time was a scoundrel and a thief that walked with utmost silence. In the blink of an eye, the mischievous little elf of a girl had transformed overnight into an elegant young woman.

It felt as though it was just yesterday when he first saw her asleep in the bassinet, barely a day old and already bawling her heart out for his attention. He held her in his arms then, cradling her under the watchful gaze of his parents while she gurgled and yawned.

It was just too soon. She grew up far too soon for his liking. It's times like this when Byakuya couldn't help but feel that age was catching up with him.

With a barely audible sigh the proud noble made up his mind to quell his unease and follow through with the plan, but that Kurosaki brat better not give him a reason to regret his decision.

It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya is a great *overprotective* big brother/pseudo father figure. Enough said.
> 
> Oh yes the irony, Ulquiorra the cardiologist! Is it just me or is the fact that the heartless Espada being a healer of _hearts_ a bit of a laugh.. Yeah, probably just me XD


	8. Rumour Has It

_~Ichigo~_

He swore he was going crazy because:

A) Mr. Ice Block had just told him about the relationship between Kaien and a certain pint-sized midget.  
B) They're having a perfectly civil conversation that did not involve any insults.  
C) He really wanted to um… well for the lack of a better word, hug his little midget of a best friend. And maybe just a very platonic kiss on the cheeks?  


It's the booze. It had to be, right? 

* * *

Ichigo stared at his newly refilled shot of _Jack Daniels_ , courtesy of Hanatarou the bartender.

What he was feeling right now, was a strange sense of calm- the murderous sort of calm that he used to feel before his fist made impact with the schoolyard bully's pudgy face, that is.

The crunch of the glass, broken as it made contact with the hard flooring, sounded so impossibly far away as he struggled to keep his temper in check. Adrenaline was pumping but he forced himself to calm down and breathe. 

He exhaled- his numb lips were soon forming words, his voice hoarse when he uttered them. 

"And what is he?" He licked his lips, raising his eyes to meet the gaze of Byakuya. "To Rukia, what is he?" 

"Do you really want to know?" The aloof man parried. 

Ichigo scowled and resisted his inner urge to roll his eyes. Trust the pompous bastard to answer a question with a question. Normally, the doctor would have rebutted with a sarcastic remark or even flipped him the bird. 

Desperate times however, called for desperate measures. For once, Ichigo chose not to let his anger get the better of him and settled with clenching his teeth harder as he grounded out his reply, word by word. 

"Yes, I really want to know. Just give me a straig-" 

"He's her fiancé," said Byakuya as he went back to sipping his drink impassively. 

Ichigo swallowed thickly, feeling as though there was a ton of bricks weighing on top of him. 

* * *

_Wow!_

* * *

Now, that was blunt. As he sat in a daze, he wasn't exactly sure whether or not he should appreciate the older man's candour on the matter.

Ichigo took a gulp of the whiskey in front of him, willing the lump stuck in his trachea to leave as he sat down and began staring numbly at the wooden bar top. He fisted his knuckles impossibly tight until he was sure that crescent markings were showing on his palm. 

Be careful of what you wished for indeed. 

It was getting harder and harder to breathe with every passing minute. 

Air, he needed it. 

* * *

_Lots of it._

* * *

He tugged ferociously to loosen the tight noose around his neck. The scowl on his lips grew prominent as he yanked the silk tie away and forcefully stuffed it inside his pants pocket.

"How?" he licked his lips. "How did they-,"his fists clenched and took his a deep breath again before continuing. "When did they- no, how long were they," the word tasted bitter in his mouth- " **engaged**?" 

"From the moment Rukia was born." 

Ichigo stiffened, shocked beyond words. When he finally did regain his senses however, the doctor shot a look of immense hatred towards to the silent man. 

Oh, Ichigo knew that his best friend's precious Nii-sama had a twisted sense of duty to the family and their so-called 'greater good of the family and bloodline', but arranging his sister's marriage to a guy when she was barely a day old? 

Ichigo fumed, the fucking bastard just crossed the line! 

No one should have the right to dictate his best friend's life, not even Byakuya fucking Kuchiki! 

He growled. "You had no right, _Byakuya_!" 

Onyx eyes turned icy as the Kuchiki hissed. "Control yourself, _boy_! I did not make the arrangements for this union." 

"Well then, who did?" asked the enraged man as he continued glaring. 

"Matters of an arranged marriage can only be conducted with the agreements of family elders from both noble families." 

Ichigo gave a hoarse laugh, lifted the glass and took a gulp. His left eye twitched, as he slammed the empty glass against the wooden bar. 

"Fuck your stupid pole-in-the-ass elders! They can't just force someone to get married because they feel like it! This isn't the bloody Stone Ages!" 

Byakuya mentally pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to correct or flinch from the former's use of profanities. Yet another reason, Rukia could have done _so_ much better. 

"Precisely," he forced out the words as aloof as he could, "which is why the elders have also agreed that the proposal would not be divulged to either of them before their coming-of-age and should both Rukia and Kaien object to the arrangement, it will be **nullified**." 

"So you're saying that Rukia wants to be married to this Kaien?" 

Byakuya could feel a headache brewing. "No." The noble tapped a finger against the fragile wine glass, "Though to be absolutely frank, I cannot say for sure." 

"Why don't we start off with what you _are_ sure about?" 

Slate grey eyes narrowed. 

"Are you mocking me, _boy_?" 

The doctor glared at him. 

"I don't know. Tell me, am I mocking you, _Byakuya_?" 

Byakuya set his lips into a grim thin line with enough pressure to make them appear bloodless. God Almighty, please make sure that he had enough patience to get through this trying night without wringing the Neanderthal's neck. 

He gripped the stem of the wine glass harder. 

"The Shibas hail from a long and distinguished line of nobility. A lax in their management of funds and unfortunate involvement in several unwise investments, however caused the family to suffer financially. By the time Kaien reached his coming-of-age, the family fortune was in such a state of disarray that even the clan elders suffered from the drawback. They decided easily enough that the engagement with my sister was their only ticket out of their financial woes." 

He took yet another tentative sip from the champagne flute. The doctor beside him growled. 

"And?" 

"And that was when Kaien decided to run away from home. It took at least 5 weeks before the Shibas finally discovered that he boarded the train to Osaka, but by then he was already long gone from Japan. In all the years since he left home, not once has he made any attempts to return to Japan or contact his family members." 

Ichigo's eyebrow rose. "So he was in such a rush to pack his bags and disappear off to _Timbuktu_ that he _forgot_ to mention that he wants to annul the agreement?" 

"On the contrary, Kaien was exceptionally meticulous in arranging his plan," replied the business magnate. "He even left a note. While he does love my sister, his love towards her was the love of a brother for a younger sibling, he _cannot_ and will not marry her," said Byakuya as he shot the doctor a meaningful glance. 

"It was Rukia who did not wish to annul the bind." 

The world stood still. Ichigo's head was pounding and he was feeling extremely nauseous. He felt as though some invisible hand had just squeezed out the life from his body. 

"Now that's he's back," he paused, harbouring an irrational fear of the answer to his question, "is he going to marry her?" 

There, he said it- threw it out in the open, rendered himself vulnerable to the inevitable truth that was coming his way. He shut his eyes, awaiting the dreaded blow of reality. 

"No." 

"Excuse me?" He opened his eyes in bewilderment. 

"You heard me the first time. I said 'no'," replied the clan leader, trying to put off the forming smirk. Ichigo glowered. Was Byakuya toying with him? 

"Then by all means, enlighten me. What is Prince Charming doing here?" 

Byakuya met his gaze head on, paying no heed to the crazed look in the other man's eyes. "Kaien is here to _officially_ break off their engagement." 

The noble turned to motion for another glass of champagne from Hanatarou. 

"He's here because he wants her blessing and her consent to end this pre-arranged engagement for good. After twelve years of hiding he's finally ready to come home and introduce his _wife_ to his family." 

.

The young doctor felt as though he was on an emotional roller coaster with not a moment to spare for reprieve. It felt as though the whole ton of bricks was suddenly lifted from his shoulders. He felt light-weighted and somewhat delirious. The happiness and sheer joy of the moment made him dizzy. 

Now all he had to do was to find Rukia and t- 

His eyes widened and his euphoric train of thoughts was effectively derailed. Oh boy, Rukia was not going to be a happy camper about this! She clearly loved that guy enough to keep the engagement for twelve years. All those years of pining after a guy, who only loved her as a sister- he grimaced. 

If that pint-sized writer had more than sisterly affections for him, the irony that her beloved only came back to her for her permission to break off the engagement- one that she had single-handedly maintained throughout the years- was going to break her heart! 

The doctor immediately leaped off the bar stool, his gaze flitting to the room his best friend disappeared to earlier in the evening. 

* * *

_Straight out, left turn, up the stairs and through the big wooden double doors._

* * *

There wasn't a second to lose as Ichigo scrambled to his feet, sprinting away before doubling back as a second thought.

"And Byakuya," he called out across the lounge. The older man looked up unperturbed from his drink. "Thank you," Ichigo murmured and proceeded to execute a perfect 90 degrees bow before he abruptly turned away and bolted. 

Rukia better be alright. 

Because if she wasn't then a certain Kaien Shiba was going to go home with two black eyes tonight, instead of just one. No, hold that thought, the bastard was practically begging for a new nasal realignment as well and his fist was on standby! 

.

. 

While it could be argued that Ichigo Kurosaki was a genius of a sort, having skipped a few grades in school when he was younger and being one of the youngest residents in the neurosurgery department of Seattle Grace Mercy West, the not-quite sober doctor did not quite know what to expect when he eventually does stumble upon a certain 'down-in-the-dumps' Kuchiki heiress.

For the most part however, he did expect to find his best friend in some sort of depression ditch, wallowing in self-denial and pity and he would be tasked with cheering her up, not that he minded anyway. 

Fortunately -or was it unfortunately- Rukia Kuchiki was indomitable by nature, heartaches caused by Shiba ingrates hurt like hell but not worth crying over and her actions are therefore, utterly unpredictable even to someone like him. 

"Rukia," he murmured in disbelief as he pushed the doors open, eyes widening as he saw her then and there. She was standing on the bar top that was directly opposite to the entrance, using it as a makeshift stage as she held a microphone close to her lips and started crooning away. 

There was no doubt about it- Miss Prim and Proper, Kuchiki Heiress Extraordinaire, Rukia Kuchiki was drunk and currently dancing barefoot on a bar counter in the middle of a Kuchiki Corporate dinner party. Personally, Ichigo didn't know whether he should be amused or horrified. 

Her makeup was smudged, cheeks red either from exertion or the aftereffect of alcohol, the glossy red lipstick Rangiku had practically forced onto her lips was gone and her hair had come undone, framing her face once again with slightly curled ends. 

Swaying slightly on her feet and moving in sync with the beat of the song, his best friend gave a new spin on the word 'seductive'. Her movements were fluid and sylphlike, giving no indication that she was under the influence of alcohol. Commanding a presence that was contradictory to her petite figure- her smile, beguiling eyes and sultry crooning serenaded a crowd of audience that had gathered around her. 

Voices grew louder as the crowd joined in on her sing-along. Her smile turned crafty and her eyes turned a shade darker than their usual cerulean hue. Left hand clenched around the microphone, her potent and sensual contralto made the lyrics come alive as she poured out her overwhelming emotion from the depth of her soul. 

* * *

_Just 'cause I said it, don't mean that I mean it…  
_

_Just cause you heard it…  
_

* * *

He was mesmerized by her. There was no other word for it as his feet took on a life of their own and even without any incentives from his brain, were already moving ahead towards her. All he could do was stare and inch his way towards her, too enthralled by her to even have the forethought to hinge his jaws shut.

Rukia was gorgeous- an astute observation that his not-so sober mind would blame on the 4 –or was it 5? – shots of Jack Daniels for the many sleepless nights that followed after this incident. 

* * *

_Rumor has it… Rumor has it…_

* * *

He was close now, standing directly below the bar, facing her as she threw herself into the last part of her song. She looked at him. A gaze that showed recognition, the briefest trace of hurt and Ichigo could see the invisible tears running down on her cheeks as she launched herself into the last verse.

* * *

_Rumor has it he's the one I'm leaving you for._

* * *

She winked at the crowd and in a sudden moment of recklessness, threw the microphone away and did a funny little spin. Ichigo gasped when she lost her footing along the edge of the makeshift stage, falling headfirst into the mass. Yet she was not perturbed by the notion of falling, instead she had the most content smile on her lips with her arms spread wide as she descended upon her audience.

His nightingale fell into his waiting arms, forming an awkward hug as her arms curled around his neck. Sighing, he readjusted his grip on her tiny waist, shifting her elfin figure within his embrace until the crown of her head was tucked into the crook of his shoulder. A playful smile kissed her lips as her bright eyes connected with his. 

Ichigo growled menacingly. "You could have killed yourself, midget." 

She stuck her tongue out childishly before she snuggled against him, eyes shut and her cold nose resting a little too close for comfort to his Adam's apple. 

"Shut up, berry," she mumbled against his skin. His scowl deepened. 

"Oi, midget!" he grumbled, poking at her sides when she remained unresponsive. "Don't brush me off when I'm about to have a serious conversation with you," he said but she only stirred to furrow deeper against his chest and swat his annoying hand away. 

He sighed, running a hand through his fiery locks in frustration. "Sometimes I _really_ hate you, midget," he gritted out heatedly before tightening his grip on her to make sure she didn't knock against anything on their way out. 

With that, the much weary hero of the hour made his way towards the intimidating double doors, ignoring the hollering cries and wolf-whistles from the crowd of passionate audience. 

He decided that the nasal realignment for Kaien can wait. Heck, everything else will have to take a backseat until he was absolutely sure Rukia was okay. 

.

. 

"What do you mean I can't get my car?!" hollered a thoroughly pissed off Ichigo at the incompetent concierge. He was at least a foot shorter and his waist line a good deal wider than the demanding doctor, his thick moustache a stark contrast against his pallid skin. He sweated profusely and gulped as he stuttered his reply.

"T-There are a l-," he swallowed thickly, "lot of c-cars in the front o-of the parking g-grounds. The um… entrance is blocked." 

Ichigo narrowed his eyes into slits. The complete absence of common sense was unbelievable. "Get a tow truck," he hissed, careful not to lose his grip on his best friend still held in his arms, bridal-style. 

"I-I-It's n-not an acc-accident, sir," replied the harried man, pulling out a handkerchief from the depth of his pocket and began dabbing his rivulets of sweat. "I-It's a c-crime scene. The police are umm… there with the yello-yellow tapes, p-p-processing some kinda c-crime scene," finished the portly man lamely. 

* * *

_Fuck!_

* * *

Ichigo cursed as he took in the current situation. Crime scene meant press presence which meant double trouble for Rukia and him. Rukia hated the limelight, both as a pampered heiress and best-selling authoress. He was hardly looking forward to explaining how and why photos of her drunk and inebriated self were featured on tomorrow's front page.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ichigo decided that it would be in everyone's best interest to keep Rukia out of the vicinity of flashing photo-snapping black-boxes and prying eyes. 

Turning back to fix his fiercest glare on the concierge, he had on his trademark scowl and noted with a perverse amusement when he saw the man quail under his glower. 

"Get me a room." 

The concierge almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to complete the task. 

.

His steps were brisk and purposeful as he exited the elevator, extremely thankful that his best friend was as light as a feather and completely dead to the world when she slept. 

Slotting the key card in, Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the green light flash and with a sudden twist of door knob, entered the room. The Kuchiki heiress was trouble reincarnated- being her best friend was a thankless job. 

Trudging wearily into the dark room, he only paused to flip on the lights and switch on the air-conditioners. And then he saw the bed and a sense of frustration started gnawing at him again. 

Seriously? 

A single queen-sized bed?! 

He spared a fleeting glance at his sleeping best friend and scowling darkly, deposited her on the white linen bedding. His arms were growing stiff and Rukia's hair was so soft, it was tickling him with every subtle movement on his part. 

He scratched the back of his head, wandering what to do next. On one hand, he could just go down to find that concierge and demand another room, but that would mean leaving Rukia alone in the room and he was so knackered he could fall asleep somewhere during the trip to the lobby. 

* * *

_Screw it!_

* * *

It was a queen-sized bed after all. Hypothetically speaking, the bed should be big enough to accommodate both of them. With that thought in mind, he shrugged off his black silk jacket, threw it to some unknown corners of the room. Sweating from the heat, he then unbuttoned the rest his shirt, repeated his earlier actions and plopped himself on top of the comfortable mattress.

He shrugged. It wouldn't be the first time he slept shirtless and it wasn't like Rukia was the sort to jump a poor defenseless guy. 

Scooting to the left side of the bed, he laid on his side, facing the cream-coloured wall. Sleep would have come to him instantly if it hadn't been for the fact that some vertically-challenged midget deemed it appropriate to hug him from behind. 

Eyes widening, he turned to face her. Sure enough, her eyes were shut peacefully and her hands were wrapped along his middle. His best friend was clinging on to him firmly like a little koala bear. 

She was spooning him! 

Their faces were inches apart from each other and wordlessly, he tucked her rebellious lock of hair behind her ear, fighting the urge to kiss her on the forehead as he did. There was something wrong with him tonight. He felt like hitting himself on the head for pulling all the crazy stunts he had half-dreamed of doing. 

Just what was he thinking? Punching the daylights out of Kaien could land him with a charge of assault and have him arrested! And oh God, he actually sat through a whole civil conversation with Rukia's Nii-sama! None of them died! 

He had to pinch himself repeatedly to make sure that he was not dreaming the whole thing up, more so when Rukia started squirming in her sleep. Writhing and tossing, she edged her pliant body closer towards his until their noses were touching. 

Ichigo shuddered, his breath hitching when he saw her face up close. Her dark sooty eyelashes were smudged with mascara and her lips were slightly parted. She was heartbreakingly beautiful in that moment frozen in time, not a bratty know-it-all, sassy little spitfire but a seductive sleeping enchantress who was putting a spell on him. 

Her dress was riding up to reveal her long shapely lean legs dangerously closed to his. Genetics can be a mystery at times. How a midget like his best friend could possess such beautiful runway-model-worthy legs was entirely beyond him. He didn't know why he never seemed to notice this before, because he must have been blind to not see Rukia as the beautiful woman that she is. 

Goosebumps rose on his arm. The warmth of her body pressed against him caused unwanted stirrings from the pit of his stomach. He wanted to kiss her on the lips, on the neck, over her jaw, place little butterfly kisses all over her. 

He craved for something more- something physical and raw, something infinitely more intimate than simple friendship with her and – wait, that meant- 

* * *

**OH MY GOD!**

* * *

He swallowed thickly, forcing his eyes to blink and to look away. Did he just admit to finding Rukia sexy and seductive enough to want to have sex with her then and there?

NO- he rationalized with himself. It couldn't be. He doesn't think of Rukia like that! 

That's just plain disgusting and for God's sake, this is the scary-Chappy-loving-of–a-fanatic heiress we're talking about! There's no way he could be attracted to the girl who was basically a 'brother' to him, who hits him on a daily basis with numerous jabs (literal and otherwise) for fun and ugh, great now he's rambling! 

He cursed inwardly before finally throwing his hands up and this upset Rukia who immediately moaned her displeasure and tightened her grip on him. He swallowed thickly as her hot puffs of air tickled him. 

God no, he's not attracted to Rukia. No, the reason for his oh-so inappropriate thought just now was because of the booze and urgh, he just needed a distraction. 

Yeah, that's it- he thought as he fought to keep his emotions at bay and to even his terse heartbeat. No matter how much he didn't like it, he's still just a guy. And he had urges and the um… dry spell he was experiencing must be hitting him harder than he thought. 

All he needed was to get laid and vent all his manly testosterone and he'll be fine. It's just the manly hormones acting up. 

Nothing major that going to jeopardize his relationship with Rukia at all. 

He took in a deep breath, trying hard not to look as though he had just run through a freaking marathon before hurriedly disentangling himself from her iron-grip hug and made a bee-line for the showers. He didn't even wince when he felt the icy cold rivulets running down his spine as he turned the knob. 

* * *

_Fuck!_

* * *

.

The weather that morning was perfect. The sun was out with just enough wisps of white cloud on the blue sky for shade, and a cool autumn breeze to give just the right touch of moderation. This was the way that Byakuya Kuchiki liked his mornings to be - bright but not extremely sunny.

Sitting comfortably on a plush arm chair in his private room that overlooked the vast Zen garden and koi fish pond, the enigmatic man breathed a sigh of contentment as he took a small sip from the piping hot green tea. The way the falling maple leaves added a splash of colour to the grounds was what he loved most about autumn. 

"Report," came his baritone voice as he continued to gaze out to the garden. Behind him, stood Renji Abarai –a childhood friend of the Kuchiki heiress and current Shadow under the employment of the Kuchiki household. A few patches of dark bruises dotted his knuckles while he relayed the outcome of the search on the 'crime scene' last night. 

"Someone called 911 when they saw a fight," said Renji, scratching his head awkwardly. 

"And?" 

"They found Kaien. Black eye and a bit worse for wear," Renji shrugged apathetically, "but he'll live." 

The aristocrat gave a sound of contemplation before turning to face Renji. 

"Did the police find the perpetrators?" 

The heavily-tattooed subordinate shook his head willfully. Byakuya nodded his satisfaction and Renji heaved a sigh of relief. 

* * *

_One down, one to go._

* * *

Byakuya sipped elegantly from his tea cup. "And what of my sister and that Kurosaki brat?"

"Well," began the red-haired man, "they didn't get caught by the paparazzi and reporters, if that's what you're asking." 

Byakuya had his interest piqued. He half-expected Renji to inform him of some unwarranted photographs of his beloved sister and that orange-haired goon caught on film and he would have to resort to his numerous contacts to dissuade the papers from running the story or posting any picture of the pair. 

His hold tightened on the fragile cup. He never miscalculated any move on Kurosaki's part before. 

* * *

_How very interesting._

* * *

"Then how did they make their exit?"

There was no other way for the pair to make their way home other than through the main doors which were swarmed with journalists and reporters from all the major newspapers in town. Kurosaki, he knew- was not smart enough to think of a backdoor under most circumstances. 

The muscleman chuckled mirthlessly. "Well you see, Boss. They um… never left the hotel to begin with." 

Byakuya's big brother senses tingled. Something was not right. 

"Explain," he commanded authoritatively as he steeled his gaze into hardened flints of grey on his unlucky employee. Renji quailed under the withering gaze and gulped. 

"Ich-" he started, but quickly changed back to a more impersonal approach upon seeing Byakuya's severe look. He couldn't be caught fraternizing with the enemy. His Boss didn't like the man so as far as Renji was concerned that made Kurosaki Public Enemy No.1. 

"K-K-Kurosaki c-ch-checked them ah… into a um… hotel room," he mumbled while glancing nervously at his boots, finding the spot a good deal more interesting that his superior's face. 

"I see," replied the older man as he fought to keep his composure. His grip on the little tea cup though, tightened. If Renji had noticed anything, the poor man was entirely too 'polite' to comment on his superior's actions. 

"A room with double beds I presume?" 

"N-N-No." 

* * *

_Clash!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Renji makes an appearance and oh yes, you know you love it, Byakuya is dangerous, somewhat ruthless and that makes him well… sexy/badass XD
> 
> P.S. Rukia is an _Adele_ fan.  
> Anybody feeling sorry for Kaien? o.O


	9. Nothing but a Miracle

_~Rukia~_

Despite despising the whole set-up with every fibre of her being, she was still attending this _omiai_ because:  


A) She's a member of the Kuchiki clan. Barring murder and mayhem, what the elders say she typically would do.  
B) There could be worse dates than Hitsugaya-san.  
C) Ichigo was her backup plan and she just sent him the 'signal'.  


Any minute now. 

* * *

And just like that- she's back on the market.

The marriage market that is. 

She supposed she should be giving the elders some credit for compassion. They did give her the obligatory two months of "mourning" after Kaien came to break off their engagement before setting up the meeting though she strongly suspected that the grace period had more to do with Nii-sama's insistence than anything else. 

She clenched her fist. She felt like livestock, like some sort of modern-day human chattel worth only for what her marriage and her future husband could bring to the great Kuchiki household. 

"More tea?" 

.

Startled eyes flitted from her cup of cooling tea to the pensive man in front of her. 

The man seated opposite her was her date for her first _omiai_ and she didn't think she would have had the patience to go through the meeting if it had been someone else. She hadn't done this before but her date was pleasant, seemed nice enough that Rukia was not opposed to another date with him. She just didn't know him well enough at the moment to feel at ease in his presence. 

"Y-Yes," she pushed her cup over as Hitsugaya-san filled it to the brim and she muttered her thanks to the man before sipping at it. 

His eyes were a beautiful shade of emerald green and his features sharp. He was polite- achingly so, handled himself appropriately and spoke even less than she did. He was quiet- contemplative almost and seemed content to leave her to her thoughts as they sat in silence. Even though Nii-sama had seemed surprised at her willingness to go through with the elders' demands, her brother had still done the necessary vetting and for that, Rukia was immensely thankful. 

If she were to put her Kuchiki education to good use and start being practical, she would begin to see her upcoming nuptials for what it really was- a simple business transaction between two families instead of an actual love affair between her and her future spouse. It was something to be gained, something to be bartered; bringing emotions, personal feelings into it was bad form. 

Rukia grew up knowing all too well that love in marriages among members of upper echelons like her happened later- much later after the wedding, late in their marriage, and typically after the birth of an heir to carry on the family name. And even then it wasn't a guarantee. 

She was lucky enough to have been born to parents who loved her and each other but Nii-sama had hinted enough of a childhood spent mostly in the presence of nannies and tutors for her to know her parents didn't start off that way. Her parents probably started off no better than strangers who were forced to marry and produce a child to meet the clan's demands then against all odds fell in love with each other years later. 

Maybe she should take a hint from them, be more optimistic about her situation and start analysing her date critically for traits that she would appreciate in a future partner instead of a potential love match. 

. 

Toshirou Hitsugaya had a lot going for him. He was young- close to her age so they probably had quite a few things in common if she tried harder; a prodigy in the corporate world with a few start-up tech companies under his belt. Were he the ambitious type, he would see that she was his best choice and he, hers. Opportunities like these didn't come knocking twice. He could go far with financial backing from the Kuchiki family but go further still if he married the sister of the current Kuchiki clan leader. 

And she- she could do way worse than a guy like Hitsugaya-san. She gulped- gripping her tea cup hard. It didn't even have to be now. They could go for a few more 'dates' before she decided on anything. She didn't even have to love him- she just had to like him well enough to spend the rest of her life with him in close quarters. The sooner she got this over with the sooner the elders will stop nagging her and putting her through hell. 

It certainly wasn't his fault that his shoulders weren't as broad, his hair colour was too light- a silvery shade of ash blonde that bordered on white, and his eyes were green instead of bro- 

"There you are!" 

.

Ichigo came stumbling in, ignoring the waiters and waitresses who were quite shocked and taken-aback by the sudden appearance of a gate-crasher when the restaurant in question was shut for the arranged private function. 

The _maître-d_ \- well-dressed, stocky and perfectly incensed by Ichigo's behaviour seemed to be ready to throw hands with him but the idiot wasn't the slightest bit perturbed. The older man only stopped when it became apparent that neither of their esteemed guests seemed to be making a fuss about the sudden intruder. 

"Sorry. Traffic is horrible-" he pulled out the chair from the next table without any prompting and seated himself right next to her- "I swear it gets worse- _Chibi_?" 

"Kurosaki?" 

Rukia looked between the two men- both of them surprised and in Ichigo's case, faintly amused as he smirked at her date, "Oi, what's up _chibi_? What are you doing here breaking my sister's heart?" 

"You know Hitsugaya-san?" 

Ichigo snorted. 

"Know him? I grew up with him- same neighbourhood, same high school, same classes. Heck, we even boarded the same plane to come to the States!" 

Her best friend leaned in closer towards her and mock whispered, "Kid had the biggest crush on Karin growing up. When he had to leave for university, he wrote her a love poem where he tried to rhyme heart-break with entrée." 

Hitsugaya- calm, collected and the very epitome of stoic minutes ago- blushed, growling even as he got up to his feet and stared Ichigo down. "T-That was ages ago! If I were you, I'd be more worried about the fact that my girlfriend is on a date with someone." 

Ichigo's smirk widened. Rukia could tell that he was enjoying this far too much to be healthy. 

"She's not my girlfriend." 

Yes, of course not- they're _nakama_ but something felt off with those words coming from him. Hunger pangs they must be, it's either that or her low blood sugar was making her cranky. Yet another reason she detested eating at fancy upscale _Michelin_ restaurants- the portions were meagre. 

"You on the other hand are far from over your crush over my sister. Still sending her Christmas cards?" 

"Mind your business, Kurosaki!" 

Turning his attention to Rukia, her date was more than a little flustered as he made a motion to ask for the bill, "I enjoyed the meeting tonight, Kuchiki-san and I apologize for cutting this dinner short but it seems like you have a prior engagement." 

Glaring pointedly at Ichigo, Toshirou hurriedly handed his credit card over to the waitress. 

"I would be more than happy to schedule another dinner with yo-" 

"That won't be necessary." 

Rukia stared at Ichigo; horrified that the jerk would even make that decision for her. The nerve of him! 

"Hang on there, I didn't-" 

Ichigo grabbed her hand and squeezed. The surprise in his action- surprised that he would be so forward in his approach to her made her glare but Ichigo motioned towards her date instead. His eyes told her _Look!_ and when she did, Rukia swallowed her words. 

Something relaxed in Hitsugaya-san's posture- the set of his shoulders considerably less stiff and a sigh of relief almost as she looked at him. Maybe that was why she felt a familiar ache when she looked into Hitsugaya-san's eyes- neither of them wanted to be here. 

She bit her lips and forced herself to smile instead. 

"I am sorry, Hitsugaya-san. But Ichigo is right. I am going to be quite busy for the next few weeks with my new book and an upcoming charity event." 

The lie rolled off her tongue easily and she tried not to stiffen when Ichigo casually draped an arm over her shoulder. His scent was masculine with a hint of the evening frost that lingered on the lapels of his coat despite the cosy indoor heating. 

"I see. In that case, it was a pleasure meeting you." 

The gesture was gentlemanly as her date kissed the back of her palm and made his exit. The glare he shot Ichigo on his way out on the other hand was anything but polite. A sentiment that was shared by everyone on the waiting staff apparently as they shot Ichigo a collective dirty look and haughty sniffs as the two followed Toshirou's lead. 

Rukia sighed. 

While it was a shame that it hadn't worked out between Hitsugaya-san and her, she knew it wasn't the right move to make- not if he was still hung up on a past flame, especially if the woman involved was Karin. She couldn't do that to Ichigo's sister who was in effect pretty much her own sister. 

Slipping into her heavy coat, she told her best friend, "Let's go eat." 

"I thought you just _had_ dinner with _chibi_." 

The heiress rolled her eyes. "Well, I sat through dinner with him. Does that count?" 

Not only were the portions small, she had been too nervous to eat- merely picking her food instead. She also wanted to make a good impression. The last thing she wanted to do was end up with something leafy stuck between her teeth. 

"What are you in the mood for then?" asked Ichigo, hands deep in his pocket. White puffs of smoke ghosted the air as he spoke. 

"How about good old-fashioned grease and salt?" she offered. 

"Like hamburgers and French fries?" 

"Only if you throw in some milkshakes." 

A smile mirroring hers formed and Rukia told herself that if she happened to huddle closer to him- it was only because of the constant stream of people passing by, she wouldn't want to get separated from him. 

"Deal." 

.

. 

The diner was practically deserted by the time they shuffled in. With the smell of pancakes wafting through the air, Rukia could almost hear her stomach growling in response. She knew exactly what she wanted and when the waitress came over to take their order she was more than ready.

Ichigo however seemed to have other things on his mind. He had seemed a bit off earlier with all the excessive touching in front of Hitsugaya-san. Right now though he was twitchy and thumbing the corner of the menu repeatedly- almost like he was steeling himself for something. As to what he was so anxious about though, Rukia hadn't the slightest clue. 

The minute he saw their waitress, he said to the woman- "So you come here often?" 

His voice carried embarrassingly loud in the empty diner. 

Her first response was confusion- thinking he was talking to her instead. When she realized that he was 'talking' to the waitress, Rukia fought the urge to smack her head from second-hand embarrassment. She had been Renji's wingwoman before and even that particular experience, watching someone who was like a brother to her flirt with a stranger- wasn't nearly as bad as this. 

Giving the waitress a quick once-over, Rukia frowned. The woman was cute enough she supposed- blue eyes, brunette, dimples and she supposed men were suckers for women in some form of uniform. She pouted- come on she was _way_ cuter! 

Besides, looking at the poor woman- even Rukia felt bad for her. The poor girl looked just as confused as she was. Ichigo's flirting skills were just as bad as his other social skills- practically non-existent in a lot of circumstances. 

"My friend thinks you're cute and wants to go out with you." 

The woman blushed, "I'm sorry- you guys are cute and all but I am not into threesomes." 

Rukia's cheeks burned. She said he was a friend damn it, where the hell did the woman get the idea that they were together? 

"He's not my boyfriend!" 

"Oh in that case," the brunette smiled coyly before scribbling her number and handing it over to Ichigo with a wink. If Rukia was annoyed at the gesture it was only because all of this was taking time away from her and her food and Ichigo's lame attempts at flirting were ruining her appetite. 

He waited until the waitress was out of earshot before turning on Rukia. 

"What was that for?" 

She scoffed. "You should be thanking me! It was almost too painful to watch. She's the waitress- where else would she be?" 

The man seated opposite her growled but Rukia was less than impressed by it. 

"I was trying to prove a point!" he insisted as the colours on his cheek brightened. 

"What was the point then- that you suck at flirting?" 

He eyed her with concern. "What's wrong with you, Rukia? You're crankier than normal. Did it have anything to do with that date just now?" 

Rukia waved off his concern. She didn't know why she was being so annoyed with her tone bordering on sharp and snappish earlier. She was hangry- it must be. 

"It's nothing. I'm not myself when I'm hungry." 

He left her stewing in silence after that, which in hindsight might have been the smartest thing to do. Her temper was unbearably short then. When Ichigo's order of hamburger and fries came first, delivered by the very _helpful_ waitress who was beyond attentive to the needs of their table, Rukia was scrunching up her third ball of paper napkins. It was bad enough when Ichigo was flirting but when the woman was flirting back- Rukia thought she might have lost her appetite completely. 

He pushed his plate of food towards her. 

"Here." 

Rukia mumbled her thanks, picking at the fries absentmindedly. It might as well have been ash in her mouth- she couldn't tell the difference. 

"So what's the story between you and _chibi_?" 

She rolled her eyes. She knew this conversation was coming. 

"I had nothing to do with it. The elders set up the meeting, Nii-sama did the vetting and I just attend them. It's a disaster." 

"Why the _omiai_ then? You're not even in your thirties yet- why the rush to marry you off?" 

She sighed. "They want to see me settled down. A Kuchiki spinster doesn't reflect well on the family. It means another hungry mouth for them to feed." 

It was partially the truth. There was also something along the notes of her being a disgraced bride-to-be who was rejected by her betrothed and the sooner she was out of their hair, the sooner the rest of the people in her circle would forget about the unfortunate incident. 

Ichigo snorted. 

"And they couldn't afford it? Don't make me laugh! And you're tiny! How much are you going to cost them- whatever upkeep you need- it's not like you're going to dent the coffers and you've barely even used any of your inheritance money. As far as I can tell, you're an independent woman with her own means of income. What right have they got to control you and make these crazy demands of you?" 

"It's not that simple." 

Ichigo didn't grow up in the same environment of heavy expectations, where family honour and duty came above all else. The Kuchikis funded her lifestyle growing up, gave her the best education that money could buy and moulded her into the poised lady that she was- it was now her turn to give back. 

He shrugged. 

"Maybe it's not but I say ditch them- whatever it is it's not worth it. Your family is Byakuya- not this stupid clan who keeps making demands of you. Families shouldn't operate on a debt system and you shouldn't be prompted with a big 'you-owe-us' lecture every time they want you to do something." 

He scrunched up his face, angry on her behalf and asked her. "Forget about the Kuchiki part- What do you want? What does Rukia want?" 

"I want-" she breathed - "I want to be free to make my own decisions. I want to stop attending _omiai_ because I hate the awkwardness. I'm not even sure if I want to get married but if I do, I want to get married on my own terms- marry a guy that I like and I choose to be with, not because the Kuchiki elders decided otherwise." 

* * *

_I want you._

* * *

_Wait_ \- what- where did that come from?

"Then why don't you? What's stopping you Rukia?" 

She froze- like a deer in the headlight, stunned because Ichigo was right. 

It wasn't the Stone Ages anymore. She has a job, her own apartment that she bought with a loan from Nii-sama. She didn't owe them anything so why was she letting them make those decisions for her? Why was she bending over backwards to suit their demands? 

Whose life was she living and who was she trying to please? 

"Damn it Rukia! What were you trying to do? Freeze yourself to death?" 

Oh that's right. She must have left her gloves in her bag and forgotten to put them on. Even now, her hands- she couldn't feel them. It wasn't too unusual- she had cold hands to begin with and with her favourite seasons being autumn and winter, she was used to the cold. Ichigo though was a summer baby through and through- bitching about the Seattle weather was what he liked to do best, right now though Ichigo didn't seem to mind the cold as he reached across the table and took her hands into his much warmer ones. 

Tilting her head up to meet his eyes, Rukia gulped. She should move- this kind of close proximity between them wasn't normal. Him touching her this casually wasn't normal. She should say something, do something her brain was telling her to but she just sat there- numb and transfixed while he blew hot air over their linked hands, rubbing slow circles into her knuckles until Rukia could feel her digits again. 

"You'll catch a cold if you keep doing this, silly." 

She wanted to snatch her hands back but his warmth stayed her. There was something about this moment that seemed too tender. A slight jerk of her hands would have been the end of it all. 

"Hey! Can we turn on the heater here?" 

Autumns and winters were nice enough she supposed, but maybe she liked being warm too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because the only woman Ichigo can ever be smooth with is Rukia. Otherwise he's a ball of anxiety and awkward conversations.  
> Trivia: In true Grey's Anatomy fashion, all the chapters are named after song titles.


	10. Stay

_~Rukia~_

Do _not_ believe a word that Rangiku Ichimaru née Matsumoto said because:  


A) That woman's a walking bundle of pregnancy hormones right now.  
B) That woman was convinced that there's something beyond platonic friendship between her and Ichigo.  
C) Rukia Kuchiki so did not take off like a deranged woman down the street when she got that phone call from _Seattle Grace Mercy West_ about a certain strawberry.  


Good God, just what was it with the traffic today?! Couldn't they go any faster! 

* * *

"I think that you should just walk up to that sexy strawberry of yours, tear off his clothes and r-" 

. 

. 

A horrified Rukia immediately clamped an iron-clad grip on the chirpy blonde's mouth before further damages could be inflicted on both her and her best friend's reputations. She really didn't need to hear that.

"There is absolutely NOTHING going on between me and Ichigo," hissed the Kuchiki heiress heatedly as she fixed her legendary glare on the voluptuous blonde seated in front of her. Generally speaking the glare would have left a weaker soul paralyzed with fear and warranted a change in the topics. 

Rangiku Matsumoto however was not perturbed by the slightest bit, and replied with a good-natured smirk, followed by the customary roll of her baby blue eyes. Her dimples showed as she spoke up. 

"Honey, saying that there's NOTHING going on between you two is as good as saying that I'm NOT expecting," she teased and winked. Her hand lingered protectively on her baby bump- the dazzling 8-carat _Harry Winston_ wedding ring glinting when the sun caught its gaze at the right angle. 

Rukia scowled in response and viciously stabbed her fork into the juicy tenderloin, half-imagining that she was tearing into the flesh of the blonde's. 

The two women were comfortably nestled under the mustard yellow beach umbrellas of the fabled Juushiro's Cafe. She was having the café's signature dish- Beef Tenderloin in BBQ sauce and under normal circumstances, the plate would have been licked clean of morsels. 

Today however was the day when the authoress had her healthy appetite ruined. 

It's not that Rangiku was a horrible woman of course, but by God that lady's pigheadedness was legendary and her conviction in her own abilities as a matchmaker was sorely misplaced, especially if she was trying to match-make a certain petite heiress with the latter's best friend. 

The strawberry blonde had been a staunch lobbyist of what she called the 'Ichiruki' campaign since Rukia's college days and her enthusiasm was … scary to say the least and now that the woman's got herself saddled with both wifehood and motherhood, she's apparently been reinvigorated to restart the campaign. 

And you do not want to be the centre of attention in Rangiku's matchmaking schemes! 

She shuddered. That woman was brutal. 

.

"Ran, please for the love of God and Chappy, just drop the whole Ichiruki business already! You need to stop making sly suggestions or worse, insinuating to Ishida-san and the others that there's something beyond genuine friendship between me and Ichigo. It makes things very awkward," pleaded the petite woman futilely as she massaged her throbbing temple. 

The older woman's eyes twinkled mischievously and immediately piped up in a shrilly voice, clapping her hands together theatrically. 

"Awkward, you say?" she smirked. "Well why don't you guys take the opportunity to put those rumours and insinuations to rest and go resolve your UST in that passionate manner of yours. I'm not sure if you and that strawberry of yours ever noticed, but it can be very stifling and I'm sure Ishida-san agrees with me on that." 

Rukia raised her eyebrow. 

Ishida-san? UST? 

What on earth was that woman talking about? 

"It's spring! A new beginning for a new year- the perfect time for love, sunshine and making babies! In fact make him your new year resolution, I mean it- you two should go lock yourselves in a broom closet or something and don't come out until you," she pointed a perfectly manicured index finger at the heiress, "pop up some orange-haired, violet-eyed Kurosaki babies." 

Rukia's cheeks turned red while the buxom blonde then had the audacity to wink at her and wriggled her eyebrows suggestively. 

* * *

_Buzz!_

* * *

Her _iPhone_ had decided to finally make its long-awaited appearance and the authoress thanked God Almighty for the divine intervention. She fished for her phone from the depths of her studded black tote bag and enjoyed a moment of faint amusement as she watched the older woman pout from the corner of her eyes.

_"Hello? Is this Miss Rukia Kuchiki?"_

Her heart skipped a beat- something was wrong. 

.

She frowned and blatantly ignored the questioning look that Ran had on her face. In her haste to answer the call and save herself from the pregnant woman's volley of insinuating suggestions, she had once again neglected to check the caller ID. 

"Yes, this is Miss Kuchiki speaking," she replied politely. 

_"Miss Kuchiki, I'm calling from Seattle Grace Mercy West. Are you aware that you are listed as Dr. Ichigo Kurosaki's emergency contact person?"_

She froze. She knew for a fact that Ichigo didn't have a significant other for the moment and his emergency contact persons were her, Ishida-san and his twin sisters studying in California, listed in that particular order, but for the hospital to call? 

Rukia gulped. She recalled the shoot-out incident that happened vividly. The attack felt so incredibly personal- like it had just happened in the back garden of her apartment complex and she felt too raw to even speak. 

* * *

_They both sat transfixed in front of the flashing screen, completely absorbed until the minute the threat was declared neutralized and people began rushing out. She was still dressed in sweatpants- having just woken up when the broadcast started and he was dressed in suit and tie- about to head out for an interview that never happened._

_The news had only interrupted their late morning routine that day but for others, it could have very well changed the course of their lives._

_She sat unblinkingly- arms hugging her knees and her mind miles away. Next to her, Ichigo was like a statue of silence. They were sitting next to each other- shoulders grazing and knees almost touching on the tiny two-seater._

_The newscasters were reporting on the death of a doctor who was killed while trying to protect his patients when she felt Ichigo move- suddenly sitting up straight and half-turning his face towards her._

_"I would do it too, you know," Ichigo's admission cut deep into her psyche, forcing her to meet his gaze, "If it was down to me and my patients, I would put myself between them and that piece of shit every time."_

_It was an eerie sight with his sharp outlines illuminated only by the harsh light from the TV and the depressing news hanging above them like an ominous storm._

_Her eyes narrowed at the remark. Like hell he would!_

_She reacted- closing the distance between them and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling him down until she could feel his breath on her, their noses practically touching._

_Her eyes stared deep into his and her grip tightened. How could he be so stupid?_

_"Who do you think you are? Superman?" she growled and he was taken aback by her aggressiveness- as if dying for his patients was a decision that should have come as easily as breathing to him and she hated him all the more for that. How could he be so selfish- what the hell did he see himself as?_

_"Do you think that Karin and Yuzu would want that?" she asked, "How would your father feel about having to bury his eldest child and only son, huh?"_

_Her harsh tone could cut through stone but he sat there unflinchingly._

_"I swore an oath to protect those under my care," he told her, "that is the sort of man I was raised to be. My family would understand if in dying I was living up to my namesake."_

_His hands came to rest on top of hers but didn't even try to pry her death-like grip off the wrinkled shirt. There it was again- that soft, understanding look he was giving her, like he was some goddamned saint destined to die for the greater good and she was the irrational clown who wouldn't understand compassion if it hit her on the head._

_Fine! She thought angrily- rot, die, perish! See if she cared!_

_She exhaled sharply- as loud as fingernails scratching on a chalkboard in the dark room._

_"Don't you **dare** make stupid comments like that again!" she snarled as she released her grip. She assumed her original position on her corner of the sofa- silent but furious, fully ignoring the look of surprise reflected in his eyes._

_"I won't forgive you."_

* * *

That memory was still fresh on her mind and the conviction behind his words and decision scared her.

Something heavy lodged itself at the base of her throat and for a moment, she struggled to breathe. 

She hated this sense of neediness and fear, the over-whelming feeling of being suffocated with your heart being squeezed so tightly that it hurt to even think. 

_"Hello? Miss Kuchiki, are you there?"_

Right, Rukia gathered her wits about her. No dignified member of the noble clan of Kuchiki would lose her head in a moment like this. 

Besides, it's just a phone call from the hospital. If there really was a shoot-out, surely it would've been on live TV broadcast by now and the café had 3 perfectly functioning LCD screens on its premises. 

But what if they're only calling the emergency contacts of the deceased, then wouldn't that mean that Ichigo, that badass, pain-in-the-neck of a loathsome strawberry of hers was.. was… 

Right. 

Calm down. 

Breathe in and out. 

That's it. No use in alarming the pregnant woman sitting opposite her. 

She cleared her throat and willed herself to project that eternally calm Kuchiki persona but that didn't mean that she could keep her hands steady and her tone even when she replied. 

"Did something happen to Ichigo?" she queried sharply, too concerned about her friend's well-being to act otherwise. 

* * *

_Please say 'no'.  
_

_Please._

_Please._

_Please._

* * *

She heard a sigh from the other end and had her worst fears confirmed.

_"Dr. Kurosaki is in the ER right now."_

The phone line abruptly went static. 

. 

. 

Something horrible settled within her throughout the entire journey. She thought that it felt remarkably like lead- heavy and toxic, nulling her senses and coursing through her veins like the poison that it was. Everything inside her- every fiber of her being was screaming her to go faster. 

She ran through at least two traffic lights in her haste to get to the hospital- narrowly missing an incoming car on the second one but never once did she lift her foot from the gas pedal. She honked, she cursed and she very nearly caused an accident on her way to the hospital, but she didn't give a damn about it all. 

All she thought about was going faster- she had to get to Ichigo! 

When she finally did find a parking spot- very much amazed that she hadn't just left her car outside the front doors of the hospital irresponsibly, she had all but sprinted into the building and made a beeline for the reception desk. 

"I am looking for Dr. Kurosaki," she slammed her hand down at the receptionist's desk. "Where is he?" 

There were at least thirty sets of eye boring into her and judging her for the very rude display. The Kuchiki in her should feel ashamed at her lack of manners but she didn't care. She focused her laser-like gaze on the receptionist. 

"I got a phone call from the hospital, saying that he is in the ER." 

"I'll have a look on the computer for you, Miss -" 

"It's Kuchiki!" she snapped, "Is he alright? Why is he in the ER? Is he injured badly? What happened?" 

Words were tumbling out of her mouth faster than she could think and in her haste, her tone gained desperation and she could feel her voice breaking. 

"Please, calm down Miss Kuchiki. Dr. Kurosaki is fine." 

"Fine?!" she shrieked- such a far cry from the calm collected noblewoman she normally was. No- he was NOT fine, that was the very reason they called her in the first place, because he was in trouble and he needed- God, yes he needed her! 

"Rukia-san!" 

She half-turned and saw Ishida-san running towards her. He must have known that she was coming! 

* * *

_Thank GOD!_

* * *

Propriety be damned!

She grabbed hold of the doctor's arms and forcibly dragged him to her eye-level. 

"Take me to him," she pleaded. 

If the bespectacled man was surprised by her actions, it did not show on his face. He merely adjusted his glasses and wordlessly led her away. 

Seconds trickled by and all she could hear was the sound of her own heart beating tersely. She didn't quite know what to expect. Ichigo was injured, she gathered that much from the phone call- but to what extent? 

People didn't end up in the ER from paper cuts and stubbed toes. 

She was naturally inclined to assume the worst case scenario and her mind was only too happy to start producing possible ideas as to how and what had happened to her best friend. 

Was he dead? 

She glanced at the black-haired man in front of her. He hadn't even blinked at her rude behaviour, nor had he seemed surprised by it. Was it because he pitied her- knowing that Ichigo was dead and she was going to be inconsolable no matter what? 

No, she thought; it couldn't be! Ichigo can't die- not like this. 

Even when she called him a pain in the ass, and sometimes joked that the only thing he brought to their friendship was the height advantage- she bit down on her tongue; she didn't mean it like that and that's not true! 

Ichigo Kurosaki brought a lot of things to the table. He showed her that she didn't need to wear heels to feel pretty, sat through movie after movie with her when she felt sad but couldn't find the words to express it, and when she lost her job- 

He's a good person, a great friend- the only person she sometimes thinks will put up with her bullshit not because he has to, but because - 

* * *

_Creak!_

* * *

The sound of the double-barrel doors being pushed open made her stop in her tracks. There was no time to think, she realized; no time to run-

They were here now. 

She could scarcely breathe, not until she saw him. 

She froze- eyes boring so hard into him that if he had been a lesser man, he would have been burnt by the sheer intensity. Slowly but surely she began to breathe again. 

He was there, sitting upright on a hospital bed- still in his doctor's coat, bags under his eyes and looking like he very much wanted the day to be over now. She could see why- his left arm was in a cast, a myriad of bruises dotted his face and- 

* * *

_Dear GOD, were those stitches?_

* * *

"Rukia," he called out to her and she swore she had never ever felt so glad to hear her name before, "Woman, I would literally _marry_ you on the spot right now- _Ishida can be the priest or witness or whatever, I don't care_ \- if you have a decent cup of coffee with you."

He had meant it as a joke of course but when their eyes met, they could both tell- something about them, about their friendship had changed. 

There was something in her eyes that haunted him. He made a motion to get up, to cross the room to get to her; but she was faster. 

In what she would describe later as the most embarrassing thing she had ever done in her life as a Kuchiki noblewoman, Rukia Kuchiki had ran (yes, I kid you not- _ran_ ) towards her best friend and tackled him, all done in the full view of Dr. Uryuu Ishida, ward nurses and numerous ER patients. 

To say that Ichigo was taken aback by her dramatic response would be an understatement. He didn't think her Kuchiki upbringing allowed her to behave in any other way besides polite and proper (at least in public anyway). But when he noticed that she was crying- literally tears running down her face and bawl-your-eyes-out-ugly-crying, that's when he really started panicking. 

Rukia Kuchiki did not cry- not when she thought her only brother was involved in a road accident and had died, not when she lost her job to some second-rate, brown-nosing newcomer her boss was secretly sleeping with, and certainly not when some motherfucker who selfishly led her on for god-knows-how-long finally came back to break off their engagement for good. 

But look at her now! Crying- on top of him, in front of all these people too! 

The Rukia he knew would rather _die_ than let others see her like this. He gave the other doctor a meaningful look- hoping that the bespectacled psychiatrist would understand. 

Thankfully, the latter was in a good mood and only sighed before reaching for the patient's notes at the foot of the bed. There was a brief clicking of pens, some messy scribbles scrawled on paper and he was gone- blue curtains up and the two were completely shielded from public scrutiny. 

.

"Hey," he whispered softly to her, awkwardly trying to wrap his good arm around her, "come on, midget. It's not that bad, is it?" 

Her only response to this was a loud and pitiful whimper before attempting to bury herself further into him, her mind set on the idea of using his shirt as her personal handkerchief. It wasn't like she didn't realize how out-of-character she was behaving but she didn't let him go. 

She was still shaking and her knees wobbled horribly. It would be more embarrassing if she picked herself up only to fall face flat on the floor. 

Unaware of her inner turmoil but resigned to his fate, he allowed her to cling on to him- like she was a tiny koala bear and he was her tree, her home, her whole world. He was a lousy friend- a _schadenfreude_ to a fault but her emotional display- this vulnerable woman in his arms who he can barely recognize as his tough-as-nail midget- it made him feel _special_. 

.

Maybe, just maybe- he bit the inside of his cheeks when he allowed the downright scandalous idea to go to his head- maybe to Rukia Kuchiki, Ichigo Kurosaki was an exception to the rule, an outlier- wedged somewhere between that freakish cartoon rabbit and her scary popsicle of a brother. 

" _Shhh_ , it's alright. I'm alright, Rukia. I'm here," his words were barely audible as she listened to the steady thrum of his heartbeat. He kept repeating the words while stroking her hair- like a mantra, like a prayer; louder and stronger until she too believed them. 

Slowly, she moved away from him- easing her tight hold bit by bit until she could sit upright by herself without support. She lifted her gaze upwards to meet his and gently cradled his battered face in her hands. At first her touch was curiously hesitant- she looked at him, wordlessly asking him for his permission to touch. His response to that was to swipe away a sliding tear with his thumb. 

* * *

_Go ahead._

* * *

Her cold fingers pressed down on his cheek and he stiffened but quickly relaxed. Naked skin contact was still an unfamiliar territory between them but he was coming into terms with the innocent skinship affection. After all what was physical contact compared to all the emotional shit they've been through for each other- he's seen her at her drunken worst and that hadn't stopped him from taking care of her yet.

Why should Rukia- the epitome of his BFF and quite possibly the only person with a big enough heart to accept all his moody tsundere tendencies- behave otherwise with him? 

Emboldened by his new found resolve, he leaned into her touch- letting her map his injuries with a free rein. 

If it's Rukia, he would let her. 

There was nothing but concern in her eyes as she inspected his face. The bruises were the least she should be worried about, his left eye was actually swollen and when her fingers accidentally brushed against the tiny cuts along the side of his face- he had flinched and hissed in pain. 

Her eyes widened as she took in the full extent of his injuries. His left arm was set in cast and if she were to unbutton his shirt, she would probably find a score of black and blues along the chest too. 

She swiped at her tears angrily, hating the tremble in her voice that wouldn't even let her speak. 

"W-Who did this?" 

He pursed his lips. "I put myself between an expecting mother and her abusive ex," he frowned, "asshole brought along a baseball bat. Hence," he gestured towards his injuries and the room, "the ER visit and emergency call." 

"D-Did they catch that son-of-a-bitch?" 

"Oh yeah," he chuckled darkly, "his ex-wife is pressing charges and you can bet your ass, I am going to do the same. He's going away for a very long time." 

The woman gave a wobbly smile at that but she was far from appeased, especially when she saw the deep gash by his temple. It was jagged and deep- definitely going to leave a scar when it healed. 

"I-I-I-I am s-s-so sorry," she croaked between hiccups. 

The doctor had merely scoffed. "Don't be stupid. There's nothing to apologize for," he told her firmly, "It's not your fault." 

It was stupid- he was stupid. The whole thing was just so stupid to begin with but she felt so guilty- she was so thoughtless and stupid. How could she just throw herself at him like that? Not only was it embarrassing but it was probably a lot more painful than he let on. 

She bit down hard on her lower lip, feeling a fresh batch of tears coming on. 

"Come on, midget. A broken ulna is nothing. Ishida's realigned it now and they gave me tramadol for the pain. Seriously it's all good." 

"R-RReally?" 

He nodded vigorously. "I swear to you- I don't even have to stay overnight in the hospital. Just have to come in for X-rays every now and then to make sure it's healing alright." 

"What about the stitches?" 

"Nothing to worry about," he reassured her, "They come off in a few weeks and it's close enough to my hairline that I can wear bangs or- or even a man-fringe to cover it up and no one will notice a thing. I promise." 

She sniffed and became horribly conscious that she had been holding on to him for too long. She let her hands fall limply by her side and scooted away from him until she was sitting at the other end of the bed. He heaved a sigh of relief as she quieted down, seemingly placated. 

"So," he teased, "not going to lecture me for being reckless or endangering my life for my patients?" 

She rolled her eyes. Her nose, her eyes- heck her entire face was red and blotchy from crying so the gesture was far less intimidating than it usually was but he caught the sentiment all the same. There she was- there was the sarcastic little drama queen that he knew. 

And thank God for that because he was running out of ways to comfort her and this close to begging. 

"It's your life," she snipped, "If you want to go ahead and off yourself, hey- who was I to get in the way?" 

He smirked playfully. "Yet I remember someone getting all emotional and ugly-crying on top of me just now." 

Rukia could feel her face grow hot but her tear-stained face was blotchy to begin with so the blush was easily disguised. 

"Yeah well. I was… I was in shock." 

His smirk widened and his smug tone irritated her. "Sure, _whatever you say_." 

Her eyebrow twitched. 

"I hate you!" 

"Nah," he chuckled, "admit it. Rukia, you wouldn't know what to do with yourself if I actually died." 

She crossed her arms defensively. "Yeah well smartass, that's only natural! You're my _nakama_ \- my best friend!" 

His smile froze- body stiffened for only a fraction of a second but she noticed. 

His expression was thoughtful- a cross between a frown and something like disappointment in his eyes, but Rukia didn't know what to make of it. It wasn't a look that she recognized from him. 

"What's wrong?" she asked, afraid that he had accidentally moved an injured body part or was only just becoming aware about a new injury that had not been identified earlier. 

"Are you okay?" 

He shook his head and clicked his tongue. "It's nothing," he grumbled as he resolutely pushed the dangerous thoughts away. Now was not the right time and place, he didn't want to let anything slip out prematurely. 

Her eyes sought out his- saw the pain and irritation that was there, so she pressed on, "I can get the nurses if you need more pain meds." 

He waved off her concern but she was not convinced. He must be too embarrassed to ask for the nurses' help. 

No matter, she thought- "I will get Ishida-san." 

He bristled- his good hand reached out to grab hold of her wrist when she pushed herself off the bed. She half-turned- her eyes wide with surprise and concern. She hated seeing him like this but she didn't know how to help him. 

She brushed her stray bang away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. 

* * *

_Tell me what's wrong.  
_

_Tell me so I can help you._

* * *

He sighed and pulled her closer to the bed. "It's nothing," he lied, shutting his eyes to feign tiredness. "It's just the painkillers kicking in- am feeling sleepy. That's all."

The woman nodded. "I'll go and take care of the paperwork." 

No point in prolonging the hospital stay- today was already more excitement than she could handle and she was quite ready to go home. 

He tightened his grip on her. "Don't bother. Ishida is already on it." 

"Okay," she said dumbly, letting herself be pulled towards her best friend until she was sitting on the bed and still, he didn't let go of her. 

Seeing as to how he was injured, Rukia didn't have the heart in her to pry his fingers off and chose to humour him- letting him hold on to her wrist indefinitely even when she could feel her arm going slightly numb. They sat in comfortable silence, seemingly forgotten by time- shielded from the bustling busy environment of the ER ward by the flimsy blue curtains. 

She glanced at his sleeping form, wondering if he was actually asleep and if he could hear what she was about to say. Carefully, Rukia leaned in and whispered softly to his ears, "I think you did a very brave thing today." 

"You saved the poor woman and her baby." 

She swallowed thickly. 

"If you had actually died today, trying to save them-," her voice choked and she could feel herself tearing up again but she stubbornly opened her eyes wide, "Don't get me wrong. I would still **hate** you for dying but- but- I can come to terms with it, I think." 

"'He who protects', right?" she gently kissed his cheek, "Thank you for not dying, Dr. Ichigo Kurosaki." 

Imagine her surprise when she saw a pair of hazel irises peeking at her from underneath his tawny eyelashes. 

"Ichigo," her breath hitched. Her face coloured at being caught, yet he didn't confront her about it. Instead, his large hand quickly moved to envelop hers- climbing from her wrist, he laced their fingers together and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. 

"Rukia," he began- eyes now open and blatantly staring at her. 

.

The air around them was suddenly tense with unnamed emotions but neither of them was in a rush to address them. More importantly, she was not sure if she wanted to. 

Things between her and her best friend have always been good- weird and uncommon for an outsider looking in but it worked for the two. 

She really didn't want to risk what they have. Why fix something that's not broken right? 

"Y-Yes?" 

She tried pulling her hand away but he didn't let go. He shut his eyes again as he murmured softly, their fingers intertwined. 

.

"Stay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me on Tumblr under the same name?


	11. In Other Words

_~Rukia~_

Their current living arrangement was strictly platonic because:  


A) Her best friend was injured. What sort of friend would she be if she turned him away at a time like this?  
B) Like he said, he's practically a live-in tenant at her place. Him moving in to her spare bedroom was not going to disrupt her daily life any more than usual.  
C) Well, they're **best friends**.  


There's no way in hell that Ichigo would ever think of her as anything more or take advantage of her, right?  


* * *

The blanket was wrapped snugly around her as she nuzzled against her pillow. She gave a soft moan at the feel of the Egyptian cotton lapping against her tired body. It has been so long since she let herself succumb to the luxurious temptation of sleeping in.

Her article of the month had been handed in to _Meow!Meow!_ , so there was to be no work emergencies happening anytime soon. The alarm was switched off, the blinds were on, and her bed- so hopelessly _soft_. It was a good day, a perfectly nice way of spending her morning, she mused as she hovered between wakefulness and sleep. 

She sighed as a wave of absolute contentment flowed through her veins. She curled her toes and smiled as she buried herself deeper into the warm cocoon. Drawing the blanket up to her chin, she turned to her side, intent on sleeping the entire day away. 

Her best laid plans fell apart as quickly as they were formed when her sensitive ears caught the sound of her bedroom door being opened. Stubbornly though she refused to open her eyes and naively told herself that her sleep-deprived brain was making things up. 

It wasn't until she felt the dip in her mattress that she began to admit that something was amiss. Through her sleep-addled senses, she could feel someone pulling at her blanket and sliding underneath the heavy covers. 

Her nose wrinkled. Stupid blanket thief, she thought as she wrestled the heavy duvet towards her and tucked her feet in; go get your own blanket. Silently, she sent a telepathic message to the unwelcome intruder- willing him to leave her alone. 

Yet the mysterious entity paid her no heed- she could feel a warm-blooded body cozying dangerously close to her, close enough that she could feel hot breath fanning her cheeks and she lazily swatted the intruder away. 

"Go away," she muttered groggily with her eyes still shut and hands clutching her blanket protectively. 

* * *

_Rukia._

* * *

She must be imagining things because that voice sounded awfully like Ichigo's voice but huskier. She frowned. Clearly, it was impossible. Best friends they may be but the busy doctor rarely stayed overnight for sleepovers because he needed to get up early for work and even then, he was not bold enough to interrupt her sleep.

Not like this anyway. 

Throughout their friendship, she was always the so-called _space-invader_. 

Cue the eye-rolling. 

.

She had lost count of the times when they first became friends of how Ichigo would admonish her for being so weirdly intrusive and his words, _handsy_ \- despite her noble upbringing. 

It was a lie of course. She can assure her beloved Nii-sama and would gladly swear on her pride as a Kuchiki that her actions were perfectly ladylike. 

The stupid strawberry was just being a prude and if she did end up touching him- taking more liberty in initiating physical contact with him than she would of others, well it was perfectly justifiable. 

Those occasions were serious enough to warrant such contacts and besides, the idiot towered over her for crying out loud, if he didn't want the contact, he could have stopped her or at the very least said something. 

Unless of course he really didn't like her touching him but he was simply too polite to tell her that. No, she shook those thoughts away; this was freaking Ichigo- you think he would put up with something he didn't like just because of _politeness_? 

The dark-haired noble frowned as the cogs in her brain started turning. Maybe she should start setting up some physical boundaries between them. With the recent events, she did notice that there had been more instances of her touching- 

* * *

_Rukia._

* * *

She scowled, hiding her head under the covers now. Stupid voice wouldn't even let her think in peace.

* * *

_Rukia._

* * *

She willfully ignored the incessant badgering and when she felt a weight being lifted off her bed, gave herself a mental high-five.

* * *

_Finally!_

* * *

It didn't matter now, she comforted herself. She can think about all physical contact no-no's and careful subtle ways of avoiding his touch when she wakes up later and possesses the full capacity of her mental acuity.

For now, she smiled; she could settle back into the comforting arms of sleep and doze off. 

But things between her and the blanket thief were far from over. 

In fact as she was getting ready to dive back into the arms of dreamless slumber, the assailant was bidding the time waiting to strike. Before she could even register the surprise, the no-gooder proceeded to yank the covers completely off her, leaving her angry and cold. 

The petite heiress bolted upright immediately. Enough was enough- she had been more than kind dealing with whoever this person was. Breaking and entering was a criminal offence but did she ring security? 

Did she ring the police? 

No- so the least they could do was let her sleep. Her violet eyes were ablaze with fury as she fully-intended to stare down her unknown assailant until the latter became flooded with guilt at interrupting her beauty sleep. 

Imagine her surprise when she met the gaze of her best friend, his left arm in cast- sporting a wide smirk that was screaming to the world how pleased he was with himself for interrupting her sleep. 

Sleep was now the furthest thing from her mind as she quickly remembered that Ichigo was on paid medical leave, still recovering from a broken arm and she had graciously offered to let him stay with her. 

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," he teased and she could feel her eyes twitching. She was barely through half of her day and already she could feel her blood pressure spiking. 

Suffice to say, she was quickly regretting her generous offer. 

Annoyed, she threw her pillow at him, only to watch it sail harmlessly past and land on the wooden floorboards instead. She threw herself back onto her bed, covering her face with another pillow. 

"Ichigo," she groaned, "it's too early." 

He chuckled and without waiting for her permission, flopped down next to her on her king-sized bed. She could feel goosebumps rising as he inched his way towards her. The weight of his stare was heavy and the heat from his approaching body was getting to her. 

It felt much too crowded on her sprawling bed. She must be coming down with something. 

"Rukia, wake up," he whined. 

She resolutely refused to give him any acknowledgement. Letting him know she was too affected by his presence to speak was giving him power in a war she had no intention of losing. 

"Well, I guess I just have to make myself comfortable then," he concluded. 

Before she could even process his words or even object to his decision, she found herself pulled towards him. She hastily placed her pillow in front of her, shielding her front as she found herself coming face to face with his 'Nice Vibe' T-shirt. 

She gulped unsteadily as she could feel her heart beating erratically. 

Her eyes widened. This was much too close for comfort. His injured arm had placed a hand on the small of her back- not one inch further, _he wouldn't dare_ \- their knees touching and if she wanted to, she could just as easily entangled their legs together- not that she wanted to, mind you. 

The close proximity was making her senses go into overdrive. 

Goosebumps erupted like wildfire across her chilled skin as his hand stayed. Pressed up against him, she could feel the body heat radiating from him despite the pillow between them. She could feel the rise of his chest with every breath he took and the tiny flutter that she felt in her that came with it. 

The constant thrum of his beating heart was slowly being mimicked by hers as his familiar scent flooded her senses. It was male and she associated it with a certain degree of animosity but yet it was just too familiar to ignore. 

* * *

_So much for maintaining distances and setting up physical boundaries._

* * *

Valiantly, she craned her head upwards trying to see just what was going on in his head that morning. Ichigo wouldn't- would never sacrifice this careless amount of space on his part just to **snuggle**.

They were not **that** sort of friends. 

.

She stilled- remembering the warmth of his hand and how close they had been in each other's presence that day in the hospital. 

They had stayed in that position- hands linked and fingers laced until she heard the sound of a curtain being drawn. Even then he didn't let go and she had to sign the release forms somewhat awkwardly with her free hand. Thankfully the nurse who had brought them the paperwork wasn't someone they knew. 

Rukia didn't think she could live with the embarrassment if they had been seen in that intimate position by Ishida-san. 

The rest of the evening happened in a blur- she remembered dragging a sleepy Ichigo along with her as they made their way to the parking lots. Her heart was pounding away as she buckled his seat belt for him and climbed into the driver's seat. 

The big baby had _finally_ relented to let go of her hand when it became evident that she needed both hands to drive. And even then, he had sulked and was asleep throughout the journey as they weaved through traffic. 

The silence had suited her just as well. The steering wheel probably had groves made with how hard she had been gripping it the entire day. She hadn't even dared to exhale during the car ride for fear of waking him up and then inevitably opening that can of worms. 

She especially dreaded having the conversation about what she was trying to do when he caught her kissing his cheek. 

Friends don't just kiss their platonic best friends- not even on the cheek. 

Of course, neither do they hold onto each other's hands and lace their fingers together while keeping a silent vigil. 

She had written off what happened that night as a byproduct of his opioid-induced madness and her overwhelming sense of relief when she found out he wasn't dead. To put it simply, he was drugged and injured while she was trying to mommy him. That idiot probably wouldn't even remember what happened when he woke up the next day whereas she had spent the whole night staring at her bedroom ceiling, dreading the confrontation. 

So when he didn't bring up the topic the morning after, she had been all too happy to put the incident behind them. Ignorance was bliss and in this case, the best solution because whatever that had happened- well nothing happened so there was really no need to look into the matter any harder than they already have. 

What happened that night at the hospital was nothing. 

Or at the very least Ichigo wasn't making a big deal out of it so she doesn't see why she should. 

She chewed at her lower lip- if only she could say the same for what was happening now. 

Could it be cabin fever? 

He had been cooped up indoors for a while since his injury. Maybe he was just bored but if this was his idea of a prank out of sheer boredom, Rukia scowled; well he had no right for using her as some sort of life-sized teddy bear. 

"Ichigo," she began but he rudely interrupted her by cradling the back of her head against his chest and she found herself too shocked by the move to even finish her sentence. 

Who was this person and what had he done to Ichigo- _respect-my-space_ -Kurosaki? 

"Sleep," he told her, like it was the single easiest thing to do in the world in her situation, like _snuggling_ was something they did on a regular basis in their friendship, like he hadn't just completely turned her world upside-down with the gesture- as if he wasn't Ichigo Kurosaki and she wasn't his best friend. 

She gulped nervously. This **cannot** be happening. 

Futilely she tried calling his name again but he seemed to have fallen asleep or at the very least, fully intent on ignoring her. 

She pouted. She could try worming her way out of the tight hold but then her eyes fell to the sight of his injured arm and decided against it. She didn't think she could live with herself if she worsened his injuries in any way. 

Pursing her lips, she curled into fetal position and made herself as comfortable as possible. This was Ichigo they were talking about after all, she reassured herself- her best friend would never do anything inappropriate to her, especially in her sleep. 

Even if her brain was screaming at her to roll away, to push him away because this was dangerous territory that she had very limited control in; her body and her heart didn't. 

Slowly, she shut her weary eyes and focused on the steady thrum of his heart beat. She was hazily aware of him nuzzling his chin against the top of her head and breathing out her name but by then she was already snoring lightly. 

.

. 

She woke up to the scent of sizzling bacon and pancakes. Lying alone on her king-sized bed, she had her covers drawn to her chin and feet tucked in as her violet eyes opened and lazily took note of the time displayed on her alarm clock. 

It was one in the afternoon and her grumbling stomach decided it was high time they fed themselves or in this case, steal food to sustain themselves. 

Yawning languidly, she decided to pull herself up from bed- a bone dead tiredness setting in with her head feeling too heavy and her senses too dull for her liking. It was like she had been asleep for half a century and her head was only just getting used to the idea of thinking. 

What a weird dream that was! 

Imagine that- Ichigo climbing into bed with her to _snuggle_. She snorted, pressing a hand to her forehead- she must be coming down with something. 

Dragging her feet, she trudged noisily into the kitchen where she saw her best friend bustling away at the stove. Mesmerized by the way he was flipping the pancakes with one hand, she let out a low whistle as she perched herself on to a bar stool with her legs dangling off the side. 

"Look at you being all domestic. Never pegged you as house-husband material," she teased, stifling a yawn with the back of her palm as her eyes adjusted to the glare of the afternoon sun. 

It really wasn't fair, thought the petite woman glumly. Here she was looking like an absolute bedraggled mess with her horrible bed hair sticking out all over the place and across the kitchen island was her best friend, looking every inch like a domestic kitchen god who had mastered the art of cracking eggs with one hand while simultaneously rocking the look of 'just-rolled-out-of-bed-but-still-too-hot-for-you-to-handle'. 

He turned to face her and she could feel herself very clichély floored by the sight of him. The streaming sunlight just had to hit his jawline at just the right angle and surely some crazy sorcery must have been invoked to have his entire face look so _soft_. 

His face was all angles and contours- arranged and sculpted in that perfect golden ratio the Greeks were crazy about. He had no right to look so utterly _urgh_ \- her stupid brain is just _impossible_ to work with today. Where was that biting snark always by the tip of his tongue, the little smirk that played on his lips? 

She gulped hard- nope, it wasn't fair at all; not when his golden eyes finally made contact with hers and with absolutely no warning at all, directed a 'melt-me-down, make-me-gooey' smile at her. Her insides twisted and she could feel her heartbeat speeding. 

She shifted her eyes to focus on her brunch- the bacon was sizzling hot on the pan while the stack of pancakes lied somewhere further- reluctant to meet his half-lidded stare. 

No one, least of all, her neurotic best friend who reads Shakespeare and gets all teary eyed at the ending of Romeo and Juliet _à la Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes_ , had the right to look so perfect on a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

He snorted, successfully breaking her out of her blatant staring fest and she scarcely knew what to do with her hands. 

.

"Well good morning to you too, sunshine," he said, as he set the two plates of brunch on the table, one after the other; each with a small stack of pancakes, dripping with gooey honey and crispy bacon on the side, "do us both a favour and go wash your face. I think you're drooling." 

She could feel her face colouring at the off-handed remark. She was so not staring at him or his _stupid_ face- however chiseled and good-looking and perfect-, nope, she bit down on her lip, they are _so_ not discussing that. 

" **I was NOT staring at you!** " 

He froze but then something warm seeped into his whiskey-coloured eyes that made his eyes so unbearably bright and a smile teased at the corners of his mouth. 

She told herself that she felt nothing but annoyance at that- _no, go away stupid fluttery feelings_. 

.

"I meant the food," he smirked. Rukia practically wanted to sink into a hole and just let the earth swallow her up. 

She didn't even look back as she slammed the bathroom door shut. Behind the door, she could hear the roaring laughter erupting from her best friend and she cursed, seeing her reflection in the bathroom mirror. 

Just who was this hot mess staring back at her- she twisted the faucet, splashing cold water onto her heated face as she tried to drown out the sound of his echoing laughter with the sound of running tap water instead. 

* * *

_Be still my heart._

* * *

By the time she emerged out from the bathroom, teeth brushed, hair sleek and most importantly brain function fully in check. She was almost disappointed to see Ichigo greeting her normally at the breakfast table, like the embarrassing incident hadn't even occurred in this dimension.

She stabbed at the bacon with more viciousness than intended. Just what was wrong with her! 

She was hardly the sort to be acting so weirdly self-conscious around her best friend and to think that she was ogling at him. She felt like such an animal- it should feel wrong and she shouldn't- Since when? 

And of all people, Ichigo? 

She was attracted to _freaking_ Ichigo Kurosaki? 

.

"Stop it." 

The dark haired authoress frowned, annoyed at having her train of thought disrupted. 

"Stop what?" she huffed. 

He rolled his eyes and told her, "You're thinking too loud. It's affecting my appetite." 

Rukia frowned. "It's nothing," she lied, her gaze returning to her laden plate. Her appetite was gone and she was disgusted with herself. 

Her guilt worsened when she heard him setting down his cutlery and the concern ringing in his tone as he asked her what the matter was. 

"Are you feeling sick?" 

"N-N-No, of course not," she lied again but she would much rather be coming down with the flu than behaving like this love-sick idiot with a stupid _schoolgirl-crush_ around him. She averted her eyes but he wouldn't have it. 

Without skipping a beat, the doctor had carelessly pressed his good hand against her forehead, checking for signs of fever and she could feel her body temperature spiking at an alarming rate. 

* * *

_Oh my GOD!_

* * *

Her face was burning and her heart was practically hammering against her rib cage, demanding to be set free. The alarm bells in her mind were blaring as she hastily swatted his hand away.

This was too much, she thought as she gathered her wits about her; there had been _waaay_ too much skin-to-skin contact between them these past few days to be normal. Heck, things between them had been weird ever since her meeting with Kaien to be honest. 

They definitely needed to put some goddamned distances between them or at the very least set physical boundaries because the amount of skinship contact was becoming alarmingly high. 

They need to go back to being Ichigo and Rukia- BFFs in the purest sense of the word and not **_this_**. 

Because Rukia Kuchiki didn't do **_this_** , let alone want to know what **_this_** is. She can't be his _nakama_ if she was too distracted by him to be a platonic friend. 

.

The heiress raised her head to meet his gaze, "Stop being all touchy-feely with me." 

He didn't even try to deny it. Instead, she watched with abject horror as he drew himself to his full height and caged her in. She could feel her pulse racing. 

Staring deep into a pair of hazel eyes swimming with heat and insolence, she gulped when he told her, "Well too bad, because I want to." 

He flashed her a smirk, "what's the matter Rukia? Afraid that I have the cooties?" 

She dug her nails into the arms of her chair. 

* * *

_He doesn't think of you that way._

* * *

"Be serious, Ichigo," she huffed, gently massaging her temples, "You need to stop invading my space and all that touching," she stared at him dead in the eyes, "you have to stop doing that. It's bad enough that I have to deal with you during the day, now I am starting to see you in my dreams too."

The doctor had his hand to his mouth in mock surprise. "Rukia, you naughty little girl- have you been secretly pining after me all this while? A regular of your X-rated fantasies? You have but only to ask-" 

Rukia couldn't help but snort. It was hard to be mad at him when he knew all the right ways to get to her. 

"First off, you need to stay away from Urahara because he's rubbing off on you. And second, _ewww_ ," she made a face at him, "don't flatter yourself. You were only ever there for the weird ones. Like this morning," she told him, "I dreamed that you were there on my bed, _snuggling_ with me. But that's stupid because I obviously woke up alone and you would never think of me like that. And-" 

The man opposite her suddenly turned very still and then whispered to her, "Rukia, it wasn't a dream." 

She froze but quickly recovered, laughing it off as a joke, "Ichigo, you dolt. You almost gave me a heart attack! That was a good prank. What were you thinking? Trying to make me think I'm seeing things-" 

"What if it wasn't a prank?" 

She chuckled nervously, "Come on- stop it, Ichigo. You don't mean it like that." 

He licked his lips and his eyes softened. She suddenly dreaded what was going to come out of his mouth next. 

* * *

_He doesn't think of you that way._

* * *

Her baser flight or fight instincts waged war within her.

* * *

_He doesn't think of you that way._

* * *

"What if I don't _want_ to stop being all touchy-feely with you?"

She gulped nervously. He was down on his knees before her. She wanted to tell him stand up and stop this madness but he was much too close and she couldn't even feel her legs- let alone get up. She wanted to run- to be anywhere but here. 

"What if I _like_ touching you like that? 

His _touch_ was unbearably gentle as he tucked her stubborn bang behind her ear. Like a man who was just on the verge of meeting the stars, he held her face with such reverence as he forced her eyes to meet his. 

The vulnerability and rawness of his emotions simmered and bubbled, and she found herself held captive by them. But more than that Rukia saw herself reflected in his eyes- scared, torn and laid bare. 

.

She used to think that she had a perfect suit of armour to shield herself from the questioning looks of her peers when it came to her relationship with her best friend. She liked to think that she was so accomplished in her task that she had even convinced Nii-sama and Renji. 

She had forged it, sealed it and bound it with layers upon layers of rational platonic reasons as to why they were each other's most important person, why Ichigo was always her first choice for a Chappy Convention or a last-minute date for a formal noble gala, why they seemed to disregard each other's privacy and space, why they always gave the feeling that others were merely extras in a scene when they were together. 

Heck if pressed, she could even design a freaking pie chart or graph to illustrate how perfectly _unromantic_ they are! 

But here at this very moment in time, the armour that she thought to be as indestructible as diamonds turned out to be nothing more than glass. When faced with the weight of his gaze- of what truly mattered, they shattered into pixie dust and she might as well be stripped naked before him. 

She didn't doubt his sincerity- or the depth of his feelings but she was supposed to be the level-headed one in this relationship and she can't- simply could not and would not let whatever _**this**_ is get in the way between them. 

* * *

_**You** don't think of him that way._

* * *

.

"Rukia, what if I-"

* * *

_Rumour… rumour has it…. Rumour… rumour has it… Rumour…_

* * *

Her latest ring tone interrupted their intense eye stare. They both shifted their gaze towards her bedroom where the phone continued to ring on the bedside table and there was never a moment in the history of time that Rukia had ever believed more in the existence of a God than now.

"I should go and get that," she mumbled while she made her hasty escape. 

She was a coward- the absolute worst, a disgrace to her noble name but she couldn't just sit and watch on passively as he destroyed their friendship all for the sake of _**this**_ \- a stupid spur of the moment fling! 

The fallout would destroy her so she ran. 

"This isn't over," he told her, but deep in her heart, she feared that it was already over- their friendship was now tainted and things could never go back to how they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo: In other words, in other words~ **I love you!**


	12. Say What You Want

_~Ichigo~_

* * *

"So that's it then?" muttered the bespectacled doctor in pure disbelief. "You just _magically_ realized your feelings for Rukia-san that fateful morning and just had to ambush her on the breakfast table with your feelings of utter adoration?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes at his sarcastic doctor and rudely flipped him the bird. 

"Fuck off, Ishida! Stop riding my ass on this. I was not thinking straight okay? It was just _urghhh-_ ," he groaned, "I just sort of blurted it out in the heat of the moment, okay?" 

Uryuu rolled his eyes and replied dryly. 

"Yes I think we have already established that you have got absolutely **nothing** noteworthy inside your head _eons_ ago." 

" **HEY**! What's that supposed to mean!" came the indignant reply as the latter made a motion to get up. Only to be pushed back by a bespectacled doctor who was thoroughly annoyed by the antics of his wriggling patient. 

The latter fixed him a stern glare as he pushed the sliding glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It means for the next few minutes you either hold still or the next thing that I'm removing is your eye." 

With his injured left arm still in a cast, Ichigo found himself occupying the only bed in the tiny white room. Ishida was bent over him- completely in his face as he carried out the mundane task of removing the stitches from his head wound. 

It was a task that both doctors could perform with their eyes shut. 

He had lost count of the number of times when he had been the one bent over a patient- treating wounds, examining injuries, making diagnoses; but now that the roles were reversed Ichigo struggled to keep himself still. 

The loss of control meant he didn't know what to do with his hands and with every passing minute, it was as though he could feel the tightening of the invisible manacles on him, shackling him to the bed; making him feel trapped and restless. 

This level of uncomfortableness was then multiplied by a thousand-fold as his innermost feelings for his many-years-speculated-but-never-truly-acknowledged-crush were laid open on the table, ready to be dissected by his favourite _frenemy_ in the hospital. 

His frustrations echoed off the plain white walls of the tiny room and his fingers fidgeted nervously. 

"I mean it, Kurosaki! One more outburst like that from you and I swear I am not going to be held responsible for my actions." 

Knowing Ishida's nature to follow through with his threats, Ichigo wisely agreed to keep silent and remain still as he felt the tweezers tugged at the made knots and the tiny snip-snaps of the scissors moving along as they snipped at the stitches. 

"Done," announced the raven-haired doctor as he removed the final stitches, ripping the latex surgical gloves off with a satisfying _splat!_. Ichigo muttered his thanks while the former tidied up his work station. 

"Well at least the wounds are healing nicely. Give it a few weeks and your arm should be as good as new." 

"It's not the arm I'm worried about. It's Rukia," said Ichigo wearily, "She wouldn't even talk to me right now." 

Uryuu shrugged. 

"You said so yourself. She spooks easy. From what you told me, this is normal behaviour for someone like Rukia-san. You surprised her and she obviously needs time to process things- regroup her thoughts and sort out her feelings for you." 

His well-polished glasses caught the gleam of sunlight in them as he offered his sound advice, "Give her some time." 

The neurosurgery resident growled in frustration. 

"Oh no, Ishida- you don't know that midget like I do! You give her an inch and I swear she'll take a fucking mile and then some just because she can," he grumbled. 

He frowned. "I give her time and she starts denying anything even happened in the first place. It's her worst coping mechanism. And it's frustrating the hell out of me because I can see it happening right now but I **can't** stop her because I don't want to scare her off any more than I already did!" 

The man groaned, burying his face in his hands, "This whole thing is just a nightmare and I really ought to have just kept my mouth shut. Things were fine until I decided to open my mouth and blab. Why the fuck was I just so goddamn _stupid_?!" 

Unimpressed by the vehement swearing, his colleague could only proceed to roll his eyes for the nth time of the day. 

If anyone even bothered asking him, he would say that this confrontation of their true feelings for each other was a long time coming. And really Kurosaki was much dumber than he gave himself credit for. 

In this hospital it's regarded as one of the open secrets among interns that if you want to talk to Dr. Grumpy-ass Kurosaki and not piss yourself from the sheer intensity of his scowl, do it after he talked to the mystery woman on his phone on his break. Anyone with eyes could tell that the bastard behaved almost like a different person after them! 

For starters, he didn't curse as much- he almost seemed to remember names correctly and called them by that instead of demeaning nicknames like 'short-stack with glasses' or 'bubbly girl' and horror upon horrors, they've even caught him smiling once! The interns most definitely have a shrine dedicated to the nameless woman if only to keep the talented doctor with a permanent scowl in an okay mood. 

So tell anyone in the hospital that their infamous resident Dr. Kurosaki was **not** screwing the mystery woman he's always on the phone with and Uryuu guaranteed all you would get are blank stares, sardonic smiles and polite comments along the lines of "Ha! Yeah right!" or "Pull the other one!". 

The unbearable _tension_ between Kurosaki and Rukia-san had been going on for years and now that someone- yes however clumsy his attempts were; at the very least the man was no longer in denial- was making the first step, it just seemed incredibly wasteful if they were to just go back to step one. 

For the sake of anyone who has ever had the misfortune of being in caught in the crossfire of stifling UST between the two and made to suffer from embarrassment indirectly from it and because he was a good man who didn't like to see hospital staff cowering at the sight of this scowling bastard, Uryuu designated himself the relationship counselor and vowed to put an end to the suffering. 

Consider it his _pro-bono_ work- his way of giving back to society and the community. 

He wasn't a therapist by training per se but he has sat in on a few sessions before and hopefully he could put these skills into good use and help Kurosaki realize that he should be pursuing this. 

This was after all the beginning of a new phase in Kurosaki's relationship with Rukia-san and Uryuu was certain that the two dorks had all the right answers all along. 

They just needed to be honest with themselves and each other because by now, everyone else has already caught on. 

"That's irrelevant at this point, Kurosaki. You can't take back what you have already said. Besides, you obviously felt the need to express your feelings towards her so let's go back to that- why did you confess?" 

"Because I _can't_ keep it inside anymore. She means too much to me and I can't- I just _can't_ keep denying what I feel anymore." 

He chuckled mirthlessly. "God knows I tried, Ishida! I _honest to God_ , tried to keep my distance. I _tried_ to be her best friend. After the gala, I _really_ tried to keep my distance from her." 

Ishida had to suppress a snort at that. Oh yeah, thought the sarcastic doctor- the whole hospital knew how hard he _tried_. That was the week he sent two interns home crying and the menacing, irate aura he gave off could be felt three blocks away. But he digressed; that was beside the point- Kurosaki was baring his soul to him and he was supposed to a sympathizing listener. 

"I tried to hook up with a random woman at a diner-" 

Here the bespectacled doctor almost choked on his spit. 

* * *

_Yeah right, good luck asking anyone out with that scowl!_

* * *

"-but it was just hella awkward. It's like I don't know how to talk to a girl who isn't Rukia and even trying to initiate a conversation with them was hard. I swear I wasn't that bad before I met Rukia and I don't know why it wasn't like that with the midget- with her, it's so easy. I feel like I can tell her anything and that just makes everything worse because the more I tried to stop thinking about her, the more I thought about her- in a way that is not appropriate for a _platonic_ best friend to do, and the whole damn thing is just _urghhhh_!" he finished unintelligently.

"It's like she just ruined other women for me or me for other women, whichever way it goes," he groaned, "the whole thing is just _stupid_! And the worst thing was how during this whole debacle I just kept thinking about her and that asshole Kaien. About their history together, what they did together- who was he to her and what that leaves us in our friendship. It makes me so angry but I shouldn't be," he clenched his fists. 

"I don't have a reason to be. Heck, I don't even know what I'm supposed to be angry at!" 

Uryuu told him rather plainly, "I do believe that's called jealousy. You are possessive over Rukia-san. You like her undivided attention and God knows how long you have managed to monopolize her- you are the only man in her life and her relationships with other men, most notably her brother and other male acquaintances like me couldn't even hold a candle to what she has with you. So you grew complacent but the minute that man- I believe you called him Kaien, yes?- appears, the alarm bells started ringing in your head." 

The psychiatrist smirked at his scowling patient. "Admit it, Kurosaki. You realized that you like Rukia-san a long time ago but the fear of ruining what you two had held you back and because you didn't have any competition to worry about- you got lazy and just took it for granted that she'll always be there." 

He paused for dramatic effect- fixing the other man with a piercing glare. 

"But when _Kaien_ appeared, you got the distinct feel of a threat he posed on your position as the alpha male in Rukia-san's life. You felt threatened and the thought that maybe she does have better options; other potential _male suitors_ in her life that she could possibly pick over you someday, made you want to push her away because your first instinct is to protect yourself from potential heartbreak and Rukia-san, rejecting you, well maybe not outright but had she picked this Kaien over you- you would have been absolutely _devastated_." 

The doctor cleared his throat. 

"I assume that nothing actually happened between Rukia and this man since you would have obviously been in a worse mood. But you kept your distance from her because you _wanted to **punish** Rukia-san_\- the fact that she 'betrayed' you by not telling you about the other man "hidden" away in her past or maybe because this unwelcome revelation made you realize that she meant more to you than a best friend." 

Ishida smirked yet again, "Well the joke's on you Kurosaki because you purposely trying to keep your distance from her just made you realize that your life without her in it feels, to quote your words, _stupid_." 

Silence pervaded the room and then like a defeated man, Ichigo sighed. 

"Well damn, Ishida. Go ahead and announce it to the world that I'm a wuss who can't live without the light in his life-why don't you?" said Ichigo as he crossed his arms over his chest defensively. 

"But I wasn't punishing her by keeping my distance from her. I was trying to save her from the discomfort. You think that I'm _slow_ ," Ichigo snorted, "Rukia doesn't even _want_ to acknowledge the possibility that we might have something more than platonic friendship between us." 

"I held it together for a while but then that asshole hit me with the bat and all I could think about was her, or more specifically how pissed she was going to be and then it got me thinking," he licked his dry lips, "what if I really died today and I never got to tell her what I really feel, about how I feel about her. I was done being a coward and then she _kissed_ me." 

Ishida raised his eyebrows, trying to contain his surprise. 

Well that was certainly something he didn't know about- he was going to have to share the new developments with Orihime-san and the others as soon as possible. 

Ichigo swallowed thickly,"that was when I realized that maybe she liked me more than she would like to admit and if I told her how I feel, she would learn to accept her feelings and we'd be something more than best friends. So I tried to confess." 

Uryuu deadpanned, "so Rukia-san still doesn't know how you feel about her?" 

He knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "I thought you confessed?" 

The other doctor growled, "Were you even listening to what I was saying earlier? I **tried** to confess but that stupid phone interrupted me before I could tell her everything and then she ran away from me." 

"So does Rukia-san know your intentions towards her?" 

Ichigo snorted. "Oh yeah, trust me- she knows. She knows and she still ran away-" 

He stopped midsentence as a horrifying thought entered his mind, "Shit, Ishida! What if she doesn't feel that way about me? What if I completely misread her gesture- misread that kiss? It was only on the cheek after all." 

"I mean- why else would she have ran. She obviously found it hard to think of me in that light and I just fucking went ahead and made things uncomfortable for her and she's just too nice to tell me that she doesn't think about me that way but I am just so _fucking dumb_ and obnoxious that I didn't get it!" 

In vain, Uryuu tried to reel him back, "N-N-Now that's not true, Kurosaki! You need to stop and consider the facts- Rukia-san did not outright reject you or deny your feeli-" 

Yet his words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as poisonous thoughts began to fill the other doctor's mind. 

"Well I got it loud and clear now! I mean who was I kidding- me and **her**?!" he snorted, "She's a fucking princess- practically related to the man sitting on the Chrysanthemum throne by blood. If Byakuya had his way, she would probably never even need to lift a finger in a single day of her life and she would have been married off eons ago to a gazillionaire or some rich nobility like Kaien who would love and cherish her and give her the 2.5 babies that she would smother to death with her sheer protectiveness and I'm just- just," he clenched his fists, "I'm a commoner- a doctor trying to survive his residency who came here on a scholarship and doesn't even have the time to romance her." 

He groaned, sighing dejectedly as he faced the facts. 

"What the hell can I offer her anyway? I have no money, no titles- _nothing, nada, zilch_. She probably has a hundred better options to choose from than me and I don't blame her." 

The atmosphere in the room became unbearably somber after that. Uryuu was yelling himself hoarse trying to get the stubborn doctor to reconsider the situation and stop being negative about the whole thing but the latter seemed to have just shut down completely. 

.

. 

" _Wow_! I knew you were pathetic but I had no idea you could sink this low, _berry boy_." 

The newcomer's appearance was eye-catching, from the roots of his powder blue hair to the wicked green eyeliner he had on. This man barged into the consultation room unannounced- his gait confident and deadly as a panther in a jungle, Uryuu could feel a throbbing headache coming on. 

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez- fellow resident at _Seattle Grace Mercy West_ and daredevil extraordinaire came in with a wide maniacal grin and Uryuu knew it was one of _those_ days. They just had a multiple-vehicle collision on the freeway and the orthopedic surgeon must have spent his entire shift hacking and sawing away. 

Talking to the resident surgeon after such a long shift was always a two-edged sword. There was no telling what Grimmjow's mercurial nature would lead him to. 

"Grimmjow," the pair greeted the newcomer warily. The man in question yawned as he shut the door behind him and made his way into the room. 

Electric blue eyes quickly zeroed in on the situation and without skipping a beat, told Ishida at point-blank, "You suck as a therapist. You sure psychiatry is your calling, four-eyes." 

The unflappable man glared at him. 

"That's because I'm **not** a **therapist** \- I'm training to be a **psychiatrist** but of course I don't expect a man who breaks bones for a living to know the difference." 

Grimmjow merely shrugged at the jab, "what can I say? I'm a simple man and I like to break bones*." 

"Get out, you blue-haired freak," said Ichigo rudely. 

"Wow! Someone really ought to teach you some manners. What's got your panties into a twist, berry?" 

"Fuck off and go bother some intern, Grimmjow. I'm not in a mood right now." 

"Really?" said Grimmjow, "it sounds like to me like you could really need some relationship advice." 

Seeing the dangerous glare Ishida was throwing at him, the newcomer hurriedly held his arms up, "Relax I come in peace- I have had a fan- _fucking_ -tastic day in the OR today so this is me paying it forward to the less fortunate ones." 

He made himself comfortable- leaning against the shut door. "First thing first, you gotta step up your game Kurosaki! Go hard or go home, berry! If that Kuchiki chick won't play ball, you gotta make her see the fact that she's on the field now and whether she liked it or not, she's playing." 

Ichigo frowned. "I don't understand a thing you're saying. Is this another one of your weird sports analogy, Grimmjow?" 

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, "what I'm saying is- you need to stop being insecure! And stop making stupid excuses up, how can you misread a kiss? Does she go around kissing strangers- even if it's on the cheek? And more importantly, did you see how distraught the woman was when she came rushing into your arms in the ER? And you said it yourself you're her best friend- you would know she obviously cares about you in a way that's more than a friend too. She's in denial that's all." 

The older man told him sagely, "She's a woman. They're always a bit _difficult_ when it comes to admitting they might be wrong and just missed what was staring them in their face all along." 

Ichigo was suddenly seeing the man in a new light. "So what should I do now when she wouldn't even look at me?" 

The love guru shrugged. " _Kabedon_ her." 

"Kabe-what?" asked both Uryuu and Ichigo in unison. 

The other man narrowed his eyes. "Come on, I thought you two were Japanese! You know- pin her to a wall, stare her down and make your intentions known. I swear high-schoolers have more game than you dorks." 

Ichigo grew strangely quiet, pondering over his options while Uryuu adjusted his glasses. "What you suggested is quite concerning, Grimmjow. You sure this isn't some form of sexual harassment?" 

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, "only if they don't want it. In Berry's case though, it's pretty obvious, the girl is just being stubborn. Besides this move has a 99% chance of success, Schiffer got his girl with it and if he can do it and score that redhead, well I don't see how Berry can fail." 

The gentlemanly doctor's eyebrows twitched. "That redhead that he 'scored' happens to be one of our close friends and I would appreciate it if you stop using such childish and unbecoming words," said Uryuu with a warning edge to his tone. 

"Why? You jealous, four-eyes?" teased Grimmjow, "you and Nemu on the rocks? Or maybe you've always got something for our lovely Hime-chan?" 

He watched as the calm doctor turned red and made his way casually across the room to stand before the annoyed man, riling him up even further. 

Uryuu huffed in righteous anger, resisting the urge to grab the grinning jackal by his collar. "How dare you! To even insinuate that _scandalous_ thing that you're suggesting!" 

"Why so upset Ishida? Did I hit a nerve?" 

"Why you-" 

"Do you guys really think I stand a chance with Rukia? That she feels the same way about me too," Ichigo asked, "You guys think so?" 

The two doctors about to come to blows stopped and looked at Ichigo like he was a man with three heads before looking away, as though embarrassed for the young man. 

Uryuu snorted as discreetly as possible but Grimmjow was as loud as he was boisterous when he told Ichigo, "Oh yeah, Kurosaki, trust us, **everyone** thinks so." 

"Okay," said Ichigo as he clenched his fist tight and affirmed his resolution, "I'll do it properly this time. I'll tell Rukia how I feel." 

" _Awww_ , look at that, Berry's all grown up and ready to take on the world!" cooed Grimmjow in amusement as he tousled the doctor's hair patronizingly. 

The younger man scowled, gripping the offending hand and swatting it away. "Watch it- I may have broken one arm, but I can still beat your ass up, you cat-like freak!" 

The grin on the blue-haired surgeon only widened, "tough words coming from a guy who just learned about _kabedon_." 

Ichigo blushed. 

"Fuck off!" 

. 

.

It was dark by the time she got home and she unwittingly released a breath she had been holding when she saw no sign of Ichigo in the living room. Carefully shutting the door, she mentally chided herself at her behaviour. She was the owner of the place but from her actions you would think that she was some thief or some tenant behind on their monthly rent hoping to avoid running into their landlord. 

She crossed the threshold and slid off her shoes quietly, not daring to even switch on the lights for fear of alerting Ichigo to her presence. If she had even a shred of dignity left, she would have asked Ichigo to leave but as it is, she's so terribly overwhelmed by him that even the sight of him could send her heart into a jaunty little frenzy. 

Just when she was about to congratulate herself on a job well done and go into the kitchen for a midnight snack, the lights flickered on dramatically and she swore under her breath. 

"Ichigo!" 

Her violet eyes widened at the sight of her best-friend sitting imperiously on his favourite armchair. Her nails dug into her palm but the slickness of her sweaty palm made the pain bearable. 

She took a step back as he began to make his way towards her. She gulped nervously as she saw his grave expression. As his fierce scowl and brown eyes zeroed in on her, she felt the urge to take off. 

He stopped and stood an arm's length from her. She subconsciously took another step back and cursed at her fate- really she should have stayed longer at the office today. 

* * *

_Stupid Ichigo!_

* * *

She thought nastily as she forced herself to meet his gaze. Everything between them was fine until that idiot decided to let those stupid emotions get to him. He was supposed to be the rational one here.

Wasn't he a doctor? 

He should have known better than to let some pesky emotions came between them. 

She pursed her lips. Emotions like this pass, she shut her eyes- they always do. 

Mustering courage from some unknown depth within her soul, she told him to move and get out of her way. 

Evidently that was the wrong thing to say as the tall man proceeded to narrow his eyes at her and before she could even yell at him for sheer cheek of it, boxed her in. She was beyond outrage but quickly realized that there was nowhere else to retreat as her back hit the door and he was much too close- so close that she could see the tiny amber flecks in his brown eyes. 

* * *

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_

* * *

The scent of his sandalwood and sage shampoo was the first thing that got to her. She wanted to turn tail and run- retreat back into the safety of her Ichigo-less bedroom and lock the doors. He was in front of her, looking for all intents and purposes like a man out for blood but smelling oh-so _delicious_ -

* * *

_Gah no, bad Rukia, stop that!_

* * *

"Rukia," he called out at her and she winced at her high-pitched voice.

"Y-Yes?" 

"We need to talk." 

She feigned nonchalance. "O-Oh what about? And while we're at that, would you mind just moving back just a _tiny_ bit?" 

She could feel the frustration reeling from him as he scowled and set his fiery gaze upon hers. Nervousness gripped her but old habits died harder as she met his gaze- still defiant, ever-hopeful, and stubborn to a fault. 

* * *

_You don't think of him that way._

* * *

"Don't play dumb," he told her, "you know what I mean." Something in his eyes showed vulnerability and her breath choked.

They were at an impasse. 

The air between them ever so tense and he was ultimately the first to break the silence. "We need to talk about what happened that day," he sighed, "please Rukia. We can't just keep ignoring this." 

"I have feelings for you, Rukia," he confessed, "intense feelings that are consuming my every waking thought and I think I deserve at the very least an answer from you." 

She couldn't meet his eyes. She was horrible- the absolute scum of the world, she thought as she unclenched her fists. And with him so close to her, she couldn't think. 

Where was that sparkling Kuchiki wit when you needed it? 

"I didn't ask you to develop these feelings for me, Ichigo," she said lamely, "I am also not in any position to ask you to completely ignore your feelings. So maybe we can stay away from each oth-" 

" _Tsk_ ," he clicked his tongue as he interrupted her mid-sentence, "at least have the decency to look at me in the eyes, Rukia if you're trying to reject me." 

She wrung her hands in frustration, sighing. "What do you want me to say, Ichigo?" 

He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. 

Lilac met amber and she wondered if he could even begin to see her turmoil and all her deepest fears. 

He was her best friend, her _nakama_ , her person- simply irreplaceable and if she ruins whatever this _thing_ it is that he wants her to be in with him, well- she could never survive it. 

It'll be like history repeating itself again- like what happened with Kaien, except this time it'll be infinitely worse because what she had with Ichigo, she didn't think she'd ever find again. 

"I want an honest answer. I want you to be true to yourself," he told her plainly, " _I'm in love with you_." 

Her breath caught. 

Oh why Ichigo, why did he have to force her hand like this! 

What was she supposed to say? 

How could he? 

"Well I'm **not**! Now let me go!" 

There was a time when just the sight of her crying would have done things to him, made him feel like he was a complete bastard and he would have just let her go then and there. 

But there was once upon a time when just being her best friend was enough. 

He pursed his lips. 

Times have changed. He knew her too well and he was not going to let her self-sabotage their budding relationship. 

She was simply too precious to him to ever let go again. 

"No," he declared, still caging her in, "if I let you go now, we'll never have this conversation again and you know it. At least tell me why you won't consider this relationship- starting something with me just a step above our friendship and _nakama_ -hood. I mean, you already know everything there is to know about me and we're good together." 

"Besides," he leaned in, until their nose touched and he could almost hear her terse heartbeat, "you're definitely attracted to me, so why wo-" 

She spluttered, cutting him off rudely. 

"D-Don't flatter yourself, you idiot! Whoever said I was attracted to you and your stupid face?" 

He smirked and by God, she swore her legs didn't just turn to jelly at the sight of it. 

"Oh yeah- then what's this**?" 

With absolutely no warning at all, he had dipped his head and kissed her! Her first reaction was to hit him and so she did, but like the brute that he was he simply gathered her into his arms and pinned her up against the door. 

She was suddenly above ground and he just kept _moving_ against her, distracting her with his tongue, teasing her with little nips on her lower lip and bit by bit, as shameful as it was for her to admit it she felt her body melting against his as he pulled her deeper into the kiss. 

A heady combination of his mouth and his tongue on hers made her feel _things_. Things that made her heart swell with inexplicable warmth, her toes curling and the utter wanton need to have _something_ to fill that ache within her. 

As he coaxed her to delve further into the utter insanity that he had absolutely no right to be dragging her off to, she realized that her senses were overwhelmed by all things _him_. 

And she wouldn't have it any other way. 

Unbidden, her hands entangled themselves in his hair and her lower limbs coiled themselves around him. Still she didn't feel close enough to him. 

She wanted _more_ , more of this crazy depravity that had her waxing poetry about her best friend- the one man she should never have gotten herself involved with _romantically_ if she knew what was good for her. 

" _Rukia_ ," he moaned as he ended her sweet torture with relish, gently nibbling on her swollen lips while playfully grounding his hips against hers. She panted, waiting for the haze to clear from her head as she rested her head against the door. 

What in the world was that? 

She felt like smacking herself silly. What was she doing? 

No, _bad Rukia_ \- what happened to maintaining distances and being best friends? 

This was bad, absolutely horribly **bad** as she belatedly realized how she had wrapped herself around her best friend. The feel of his throbbing length against her soaked core despite the layers of clothing between them left absolutely nothing to the imagination. 

She blushed so hard that she thought her cheeks would be permanently stained pink as she hastily tried clambering away from Ichigo's embrace. 

"Put me down, Ichigo," she scolded him. 

"Say please," he smirked- his brown eyes were alive and molten, Rukia knew she was in no position to make demands, not when she didn't even trust in her body's ability to push him away. 

" _Please_ ," she said through gritted teeth as the smug bastard took his time, drawing out her torture. 

The minute she felt her feet touch the ground, she bolted for her bedroom but Ichigo was not only bigger, he was also stronger. With a strong grip on her forearm, he pulled her towards him again and the close proximity did things to her body. 

Goosebumps rose and she dug her nails into her palms. She didn't trust herself- feeling torn between the need to run away and jump him at the same time. 

And it certainly didn't help that he had such lovely dark eyes that made her feel like she was the only one in the world when they focused on her. 

"Let me go, Ichigo," she whined, " _please_." 

The sight of her red pouty lips and her glazed eyes almost had him. He had the urge to sweep her into his arms and pepper her with more kisses but he staved off the naughty thoughts and held his ground. 

There was something far more important here. 

Shrewdly he told her, "on one condition." 

Her Kuchiki education had always stressed the importance of being calm and level-headed when making a deal but in this desperate situation, she was not the Kuchiki heiress and like the fool in love or lust that she was told him to name his price. 

"I'm going to make a deal with you, Rukia. For the next 2.5 months that I'm on medical leave, I'm going to _seduce_ you." 

The heiress almost choked on her own spit. 

" **What**?" 

He smirked. "Oh you heard me, for the next few weeks, I'm going to seduce you and if you admit that you like me, be it a physical or a verbal admission- so both kissing me voluntarily or confessing to me will count as a win for me, then you have to go on a date with me." 

The woman bristled. Oh so he thought that just because he surprised her with a kiss and the fact that she gave in to it gave him the edge in the competition? 

Her eyes narrowed. Dream on! 

The night is still young and this Kuchiki heiress has self-restraints that would put _Gandhi_ to shame. 

"And if I win?" 

She liked how his eyes widened momentarily, as if the cocky idiot never even considered the possibility before. 

Good, she thought to herself, that was going to make the victory all the more sweeter when she pulls the rug out from him later. 

Make no mistake, she _will_ win. 

"Then I was wrong. You aren't attracted to me and you don't love me. I will never bring this up ever again," he said, "I swear on my mother's grave." 

She nodded solemnly. "Then I accept," she told him. 

Grinning like a man who just won the lottery, he swept her into his arms and delved into another earth-shattering kiss. The stubborn woman had yelped in surprise and was fuming by the time they broke apart for air. 

"What was that for?" she yelled as she pushed him away. 

Ichigo merely shrugged and then told her, "That was me seducing you." 

He gave her a lingering peck on the cheek as he chuckled, "I hope you hold out longer than a month, Rukia. But don't make me wait too long." 

Rukia made a rude gesture at him as her former best friend sauntered away into his room. 

She _so_ did not find that sexy or attractive at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notice how this chapter doesn't begin with a list of reasons any more, well it's because we've moved out of the **platonic** phase of the relationship, kiddos.
> 
> All that background drama between Ishida and Grimmjow is just drama for drama's sake- but here Ulqiorra is with Orihime and Nemu is with Uryuu, who may or may not be having feelings for our buxom redhead. If there's enough demand for it, I might make a spin-off for the other characters.
> 
> * You guys had no idea how funny I found this pun to be- As soon as I thought of Grimmjow, he was my go-to for an orthopedic surgeon. The man was made for the job. I find it almost as funny as I think of Ulqiorra specializing in cardiology surgery coz he's a healer of _hearts_. And I'm sure fans of Grey's Anatomy will know the supposed characteristics of a cardiothoracic surgeon. Oh the humour, I am so funny! XD
> 
> ** listen to the chorus part of _Texas_ 's _Say What You Want_ at this mark. I guarantee you that you'll get what I was trying to do there with the two and if I fall off the mark with that. Then *shrugs* I tried.


	13. These Are the Moments

_~Rukia~_

* * *

She huffed at the gleaming jar of honey miserably taunting her while perched at an impossible height from Earth.

Words could not even begin to describe her hate for the sheer impossibility of high kitchen shelves. Just who in the right mind would think that 'up' was the way to go? Couldn't they have come up with some ingenious idea of building one rack in front of the other? 

Or some built-in step ladders that unfurled the minute the shelves were opened? 

With the hefty down-payment she had to put down for her apartment, you would _think_ that the money would have afforded some form of consideration for people who are vertically challenged like her. 

She scowled. This situation would have never happened to her if she had been living alone. But since Ichigo moved in the bastard seemed to take immense satisfaction in watching her struggle- be it placing things on impossibly high shelves or making stupid out-of-the-blue confessions that leave her feeling more confused and conflicted than she should, he wanted to see her suffer and fate did not seem to find it fit to intervene so in short, she was doomed. 

The Kuchiki heiress angrily brushed the hair away from her face as she tried her luck at reaching the jar yet again. Balancing herself on tiptoes and stretching her body as far as she could she gave a little _'whoop!'_ of victory as her straining fingers tapped against the base of the glass jar. 

Just before she could wrap her hand fully around the jar though, _he_ stepped in. 

Her body stiffened and froze in mid-stretch. She hadn't even heard him coming. Easily towering her, his shadow loomed over her and she became embarrassingly aware of her body's innate reaction to his presence as he moved in to occupy the previously empty space behind her. 

The air around her was an intoxicating musk of _him_ and her floral-scented laundry detergent and the longer she was exposed to the heady concoction the more potent its effects became. 

Her face felt hot and her skin tingled. Her out-stretched arm and extended calf muscles stayed in that position for what seemed like an eternity- simply too nervous to move, afraid that even the mere exhale of breath would upset the balance between them. 

She heard nothing but the sound of her own thundering heartbeat- the organ was pounding away like the wings of a hummingbird on steroids, second only perhaps to the roar of wild elephants stampeding in her stomach. 

* * *

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_

* * *

Anticipation, excitement and trepidation coursed through her veins, fueling her already tightly-wound clockwork body, gathering momentum and building up pressure until she felt as though she was in danger of bursting from the sheer intensity of nervous energy.

With simple ease afforded by the height advantage, her tormentor set the honey jar wordlessly on the kitchen top for her. Seconds passed and she forced herself to look past his presence and focus on the jar of honey instead. 

Slowly, she exhaled- deeply and shakily and for a second she could almost breathe. Like a release switch had somehow flipped on somewhere inside of her- she relaxed, settling the balls of her feet firmly on the flat ground with her arm falling limply to her side. 

The world was mercifully quiet again as she rested her head against the lowest kitchen rack, feeling like she had been running a marathon with dead-weights strapped to her ankles. She was reacting too strongly to him. 

It wouldn't do. 

Rukia threw herself back into the game with the single-minded objectiveness of winning it. Even as she felt the weight of his stare on the back of her head, her mind was sound and better yet, her mind was made. 

Whatever Ichigo- her former best friend/ex- _nakama_ had in mind, be it the Smolder™ or that stupid _kabedon_ -shit he pulled that night- she wasn't going to fall for the same trick tw- 

* * *

_OH merciful mother of GOD!_

* * *

He leaned in, completely pressing himself to her back. Her eyes widened- she felt _everything_ , from the toned pectorals on his muscular chest to the scratchy texture of his worn pajamas as they rubbed against her bare legs.

She gulped. It was enough to make a weaker woman moan. Up close he was the delicious temptation of a lazy Sunday morning sleep-in on a working Monday morning, his warmth radiated like the first glow of daylight on her face as it filtered through her bedroom window and he smelt like her very much slept-in comforter; it was all sorts of warmth and fuzziness and all she wanted to do was to dive back under the covers and snuggle. 

With her face burning from the mixture of anger and embarrassment, Rukia had half-turned to face him- hell-bent on giving him a piece of her mind on how he was being a pervert of the worst degree by pulling those _moves_ on her. 

Like honestly who the hell did he think he is? Was she going to fawn over him just because he's good-looking and smelled like home and all kinds of delicious to her? 

She regretted her decision the instant her eyes connected with his. His sleepy half-lidded stare was hungry, piercing, a colour shifting between liquid gold and melted chocolate and every shade of temptation in between, and how it made her heart race. She really was tempted to just go back to bed and cuddle with him- never mind the fact that she was a working adult and this was a work day morning and really she had responsibilities! 

Her mouth went incredibly dry as he wrapped his arms around her, encircling her waist before boxing her in against the kitchen counter top. She swallowed thickly as he nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. She leaned back against him, her body responding to his touches when her fervent mind wanted nothing to do with him at all. 

She clenched her clammy palms tight as she forcibly forced herself to keep her breath steady. His warm exhales of breath tickled her already flushed skin as he dipped his head low and purred into her reddening ears. 

"Good morning, Rukia." 

Had she been in a different position at that very moment in time, perhaps the Kuchiki authoress would have been amused by his behaviour- likening it to being greeted by a giant humanoid goofy house cat that just woke up and was demanding to be fed. Head boops and heavy purring are by far his favourite means of seeking attention and the thought of Ichigo with cat ears almost made her giggle. 

Of course, this house cat had a very different idea of _food_ in mind and his wants from his 'owner' are perhaps a great deal more _complicated_ than a normal feline's. 

A hand grasped the ends of her baggy T-shirt, tugging it low and her breath caught. A shudder ran through her system, kicking her jaunty little machine on steroids into overdrive while she valiantly tried to suppress her body's reaction to him. Her ribcage was ill-equipped to deal with the heavy battering involved and every agonizing second that followed was a test to see if mere bones would hold against the onslaught of her emotions. 

"Your shirt was riding up," he told her. 

. 

Barely awake, he had walked into the kitchen that morning for breakfast to be greeted by a different sort of treat. He saw the woman haunting his dreams bouncing up and down and his well-intentioned greeting immediately went flying out of the window. His eyes had latched on to the sight of her ass- round, perky and just _peachy_ fine- as they bounced in time to her little jumps and simply refused to look away. 

He hungrily followed the lines of the soft curve of her butt, clad in simple cotton shorts and it was exactly the sort of delicious forbidden fruit he was dying to sink his teeth in. And when she wasn't jumping, the little minx was stretching. 

The glimpse of naked skin on the small of her back as she leaned and stretched on her tiptoes was a sight he had not expected to see when he woke up that morning but far be it from him to complain. As she tried in vain to stretch more the T-shirt inevitably rose, showing more skin. He was content to simply observe but the minute he caught the hint of purple lace peeking from her shorts though, he was pushed to action. 

He chuckled. To think this was all just to reach that pesky little jar of honey. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought she was doing it on purpose- just trying to make him lose his control on the fragile hold he had over his libido and almost crushing need to _touch_ her in some way, shape or form. 

"S-So?" she challenged him, "me showing a little naked skin to you is hardly anything new. It's not like I intentionally stripped naked in front of you." 

He chuckled. The throaty laughter rumbling from his chest made her pulse quicken and liquid heat pooled between her legs as his warm body remained plastered to her. She could feel _something_ poking at her back and her face blushed from the not-so-innocent implications. 

"You sure that's what you want to do- give a man who just confessed to being in love with you suggestions of you stripping naked in front of him?" 

She growled as the frayed ends of her nerves twitched from the sensory overload, "You know that's not what I meant. You're _twisting_ my words." 

"Maybe you should be more aware of yourself," he suggested, pressing butterfly kisses along the column of her throat. His sensitive ears had caught the light gasp from her and every fibre of his manly pride was singing. 

"I _am_ that man who just confessed to being in love with you, you know." 

Annoyed, she huffed, "should I start covering myself from head to toe now, Mr. _I-can't-stand-the-sight-of-naked-skin_? Maybe I should just start dressing myself in grandma dresses." 

He stopped trailing his kisses and for a second, she thought he was seriously considering the idea and she was just itching to give a thorough bout of tongue-lashing – _no, not that sort of 'tongue-lashing' you perverts_ – if he even _dared_ to entertain stupid archaic notions of her covering herself up just because he couldn't control himself around her. 

"You could if you want to but I think it would just make me want all the more to tear them off." 

" **Ichigo**!" 

Colours rose to her cheek and she was beyond outraged but the man had simply laughed and sneakily placed a chaste kiss on her lips before she could react. 

"Have a lovely day at work!" he told her before he disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him with a loud bang before she could react to the sneak attack and reprimand him. 

Left alone, she could only scowl viciously at the jar of honey sitting at the kitchen top. She had forgotten why she wanted to get it in the first place. A quick glance on her wrist watch had her cursing and making a mad dash for the closet. 

Traffic was insane and she needed to leave the house now if she wanted to be on time for work. Before that though- she was in desperate need for some clothes other than her baggy sleepwear. 

Angrily rushing out, once again almost forgetting her phone in her haste, she thought to herself that it was all _stupid_ Ichigo's fault! 

Him and his stupid stare and stupid dare and stupid everything! 

She was just so frustrated and he's just a complete and utter idiot! And why was she still thinking about him- she was going to be late _damn it_! 

. 

. 

She wasn't herself today. 

Her outfit of the day was less than inspired and her normally immaculate work blouse had a crease on the sides. She felt like a sham- the way she had answered Yoruichi's questions and responded to her team during the group meeting. 

" _Ano_ , Rukia? You might want to let go of your 'p'," a feminine voice rang out and knocked her out of her daydream and sure enough there were at least three rows of 'p' dotted across the entire of her page. She cursed; hitting 'backspace' with such ferocity that even her mild-mannered colleague seemed taken aback. 

She grimaced. 

Trying desperately to salvage the awkward situation and what remained of her tender pride, she cleared her throat. Momo was her colleague at work and it certainly wouldn't help in her workplace if her co-worker found her spacing out when she should be working. 

The other woman merely smiled and said, "Yoruichi left 20 minutes ago. We're the last two people left in the office. Do you have a lot of work left because I'm almost done but I'll stay a little while longer while you finish up so we can go together unless you've got other plans?" 

Inwardly Rukia was calling herself a million kinds of fool because honestly- how could she not notice the time? Speaking of which- her stomach was growling. 

Mentally face-palming herself, she thanked the kind woman and gladly took her up on her offer. The car park was hardly the safest place at night and Momo was such a kind soul for even offering. Now that she's officially removing Ichigo Kurosaki from her BFF list, Momo was definitely new best friend material. 

For starters she's a woman and she had a steady boyfriend- so there was absolutely zero chance of any romantic interlude getting in the way of this relationship. And also Momo liked cute bunnies and happen to find her drawings nice- _Ha! Take that Ichigo!_ \- so they definitely have things in common. 

By the time the pair made their way to the lobby of the building, they were deeply engrossed in the discussion of _Monet_ water-lilies and _Degas_ ballerinas. Momo was an Art History graduate and wonderfully knowledgeable about French Impressionism and even spoke the language fluently. 

Rukia was just about to share her love for _Renoir_ paintings when she spotted the tall familiar figure of her former best friend. At first she thought she was mistaken, simply too exhausted and really she shouldn't be surprised, that man had been plaguing her thoughts the whole morning with how boorish his behaviour was- but as she got closer, she would recognize that mop of orange hair from anywhere and of course when she saw his face, that's when she knew she really wasn't hallucinating. 

Ichigo Kurosaki was waiting for her in the lobby of her office building! 

. 

"Ichigo!" she shouted, surprised to see the injured man out-and-about with his arm in a cast and lounging in one of the many armchairs dotting the building's lobby. She rushed to him, curiosity burning a hole through her soul as to what he was doing here. Questions began tumbling out of her mouth before she even got to him. 

"What are you doing here? How did you get here? Where's the security guard?" 

A smile rose to his lips as he saw the way she was fretting over him, inspecting him from side to side to make sure he wasn't hurt and insisting he turn around just to make sure. Brushing off her concerns, he shrugged and told her, "I took a taxi. Mr. Khan let me in once he recognized me as the brave doctor from the news." 

She frowned. She was going to have words with the man first thing in the morning. Really the portly man was simply too trusting. He can't let a stranger into the building just because he was featured in the news for crying out loud! 

"Yes but what are you doing here?" 

"Oh," Ichigo's expression turned thoughtful, "We need to do some grocery shopping- we're completely out of milk and eggs. I want to go with you to make sure we got everything we wanted." 

"Rukia?" 

Oh how could she forget about Momo. The petite woman was looking at her friend quizzically and Rukia could almost hear the wordless request for an introduction, so she dealt them out as simple and as cordially as possible. 

She gestured to the man dressed in a hoody and jeans- looking for all intents and purposes as far removed from the image of a professional doctor as possible. 

"Momo, this is Dr. Ichigo Kurosaki. Don't let his appearance fool you- he really is a doctor. My former best friend who also happens to be the brave doctor Seattle News had so _graciously_ decided to feature as their headline a few weeks ago." 

"Ichigo, this lovely lady is Momo Hinamori- my colleague and we were just going to the car park before you showed up." 

The two shook hands and exchanged pleasantries as expected and in hindsight she shouldn't have been surprised when the other woman asked her. 

"Is Dr. Kurosaki your boyfriend?" 

Rukia choked on her spit and spectacularly overreacted. 

" **NO! NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS! LIKE HELL HE IS!** " 

The vehement way she had denying it made the poor girl jump but with her aggressive stance, Rukia honestly thought she had the other woman convinced and that was crisis averted. 

Of course, then the unhelpful oaf had the gall to say, "Yeah, we just live together." 

" _Oh!_ " 

Rukia face-palmed and glared at him. 

" **Temporarily**! He's only living with me temporarily," Rukia added hastily. But alas, the damage was already done. 

At the end of the day all the troubles in her life have a habit of developing from that idiot and his stupid mouth- it's the careless things he said that really make her life hell. Judging by the way Momo's eyes kept darting between the two of them and her thoughtful expression that she might have accidentally discovered something no one else was supposed to know about, Rukia was pretty sure the woman had misunderstood their relationship. 

She was now Rukia with the hot live-in doctor boyfriend in Momo's eyes. By morning, the whole office would know. 

. 

The three made their way to the car park in silence. After making sure that Momo got into her car safely, the pair waved goodbye and once the woman was out of sight, Rukia's smile quickly fell and she practically stomped her way into her car. 

She slammed her car door shut and once he was seated in and safely buckled, drove off. Inside the car, she was livid and she didn't bother to hide it from him. 

"You shouldn't have come here," she hissed, "And why did you tell Momo that we're living together?" 

She was beyond embarrassed and he had no business saying things like that to her co-workers. 

Ichigo shrugged. 

"Because we are?" he suggested sarcastically and Rukia gripped her steering wheel hard- half imaging it was his neck she was gripping at. That man did make her feel murderous at times! 

Scowling she told him, "People might get ideas." 

"Oh yes the horrors!" he deadpanned, "Rukia Kuchiki lives together with her _boyfriend- how scandalous_! Someone call Nii-sama." He rolled his eyes. 

"Wake up, Rukia- it's the 21st century! No one, well apart from your stick-in-the-mud brother, is going to bat an eye if they hear you're living together with a guy who they all think is your boyfriend!" 

Her grip on the wheel tightened. "But that's just _it_! Ichigo, you're **not** my boyfriend!" 

"Well in that case, you might want to hurry up and confess that you like me too or maybe make-out with me right now, whichever one is fine so take your pick, just to make it official," he teased, "that way everyone will think it's perfectly normal." 

She growled. 

"You're just _impossible_ to deal with sometimes you know that?" 

The doctor merely raised an eyebrow and drawled, "well hello pot." 

Rukia snorted and decided that she wasn't even going to humour him with a reply- it would only encourage him. She stepped on the accelerator in response. 

Seconds turned into minutes inside the car as the two drove down the Seattle downtown in tense silence. Ichigo inevitably broke the silence when he sighed. 

"You weren't back by dinner time. I got worried." 

His admission was whispered so quietly that she almost missed it but the fact that he got worried and came looking for her because of that stunned her. It was hard for her heart not to melt a little at that and upon reflection, she didn't exactly handle the situation well either. 

If he was man enough to break the silence then the very least thing she could do was to be a decent human being and apologize. 

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier," she said, no longer aggressively stepping on the pedals, she was much calmer and sincere as she spoke, "I overreacted when I saw you at the lobby. I'm still processing things. You and the confession and that _stupid_ bet! And then what happened this morning. Then Momo was there and I-I-I," she gulped, "I panicked." 

There! She admitted it! 

Rukia Kuchiki- Ice Princess Extraordinaire, panicked- lost her cool because of him. 

She gulped nervously before continuing, "You make me feel things, Ichigo. But I don't know what these _**things** are_ and I don't even think that I should feel them. You confuse me and you shouldn't because you're my _nakama_ and I know you. I just," she paused, biting her lips, "No matter what happens at the end of the day- you're still going to be my friend right?" 

His silence made her nervous and she counted the seconds that passed by until he finally answered yes. 

She had smiled at him. It was the answer she had wanted to hear but the words were hollow to him. It was humbling to hear her honest response of what she felt for him because that sort of honesty was what made them well- _them_. They told each other everything and their _nakama_ -hood was built on that trust that they are each other's person and they would never lie but this time, he didn't want to be her _nakama_. 

He clenched his jaw. She didn't seem to understand that. 

He wanted to be the man in her heart _and_ the man of her dreams- the man she woke up to in the morning and crawled into bed with at night, the man she did all sorts of domestic chores with like grocery shopping and taking out the trash and more than the man who made her breakfast, he wanted to be the man who _is_ the reason they're having breakfast in bed and then some. 

The fact that she felt those feelings but was still trying to deny them, it hurt. 

He wanted to confront her- to call her out on her bullshit because they both know perfectly well what it is that she felt for him. She just wouldn't admit it because she's scared! If she would only look past her own insecurities and her own stubbornness, she'd see them for what they truly are; she would come to see what had been there all along. 

That they were meant to be, even if it was messy and troublesome and sometimes downright frustrating- they're the better halves of each other. 

"I made a new friend at work today. Momo's very nice and she knows a lot about Art and she really likes my bunny drawings!" 

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw him smiling and then she felt the weight of his large hand patting her on her head gently. She normally hated it when he ruffled her hair in any way but she'll let this one slide. 

"Well done!" he told her fondly, "I'm really proud of you. I know how you don't always find it easy to make friends so I'm glad to hear that." 

She beamed. It's moments like these that she really couldn't ask for a better _nakama_ than him. For all his borderline-caveman and rude behaviour, the idiot really did have her best intentions in mind and he knows her- knew all about her soft spots, the things that make her who she is, the causes she hold dear and champion, the lines she draw at, and the things that make her smile, knew about her struggles and how far she had come from the isolated Kuchiki heiress she was all those years ago. 

They've seen each other through a lot over the past years- at their caffeinated, cram-study-sessions' worst and their graduation ceremony highs; seen themselves at the nervous pre-job-interview jitters and also the celebratory parties that come after each job offer and promotion. 

Really the only momentous occasion left for them to witness now would be them at their respective wedding days. 

Rukia sneaked a glance at her passenger. Ichigo was a good man- sure he was brash and downright childish sometimes but he was also kind, brave, smart and selfless. Despite his rough and somewhat callous approach to others, he cared enough to step in when someone threatened a pregnant woman. Of course he was also tall, objectively good-looking and a doctor- practically marriage-material to girls of any social class at this time and age. He would make a good husband and he deserves a good, simple woman who would make him happy and Rukia wasn't sure – 

"You just missed the turn to _Walmart_!" 

His outburst nearly had her hitting the brakes and this earned her a very loud and angry honk from the drivers behind her. She glared at the man. 

"What did we say about shotgun driving?" 

He grumbled under his breath about midgets and their horrible, less-than-dependable driving skills and she pinched him. 

" **OW**!" the big baby had yowled in pain, "what was that for, you abusive woman!" 

She merely rolled her eyes at him and said, "I'm hungry. Let's go to _Uwajimaya_. I have a craving for Korean BBQ." 

"You want to go to _Shilla_ now?" he asked incredulously and when she nodded yes, said "Rukia, I want Mongolian hot pot!" 

She squinted at the man. "You didn't even want food in the first place! You wanted to go to _Walmart_." 

The man folded his arms defensively, "well that was until you offered!" 

Rukia rolled her eyes, "Well I thought you already had dinner! Better watch it or you'll really start expanding horizontally, Ichigo. And eating such a full dinner at this time," she tutted disapprovingly, "you should know better, doc." 

As if on cue his stomach started growling and the fool didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed and instead whined, "See!" 

"Fine!" 

Begrudgingly, she agreed to his request. His smug expression was practically grating on her nerves but she bore the irritation by reminding herself that he was injured and she was the bigger person. 

Reaching over, he turned on the car radio and funnily enough Rukia had it tuned to a K-pop station so the song that popped out was _IU_ 's _Friday_. As the chords started playing, the woman turned and told him, "I like this song." 

Ichigo smiled softly and told her to keep her eyes on the road which of course prompted them to banter about driving with the radio on. He teased her about listening to songs she didn't even know the meaning of the lyrics to and she had playfully stuck her tongue at him and called him a snob for judging her taste in music. 

"And while we're on the subject of my health, I should warn you that the only women allowed to lecture me about it are my SO, my mother and my sisters in that order," he smirked, "And since the last two are already permanently filled, I don't suppose I could interest you in taking up the only position left?" 

She scoffed good-naturedly at his cheeky suggestion and told him to dream on before turning her attention back to the road. 

While she wasn't watching, he looked at her. He liked the way her slightly upturned nose wrinkled and the disapproving shake of her head as she observed some of the road users, silently judging them. Her elfin features were sharp and delicate; more so under the street lights and her curious habit of tapping her fingers against the wheel while waiting for the lights to turn green made him smile. 

Every moment spent with her was another reason to fall deeper in love. Be it this playful banter about her odd music taste, where to eat or the sight of her barely clothed ass this morning, he wouldn't have it any other way. 

2.5 month makes up roughly 11 weeks, which equates to 1825 hours. The night was still young and he was going to make every second of those hours count. 

Eventually she would say yes. 

He wouldn't know what to do with himself if she didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to make it official- I am a feminist and this fic officially passes the Bechdel test although just barely. XD
> 
> I support female solidarity and girls, this means accompanying each other and keeping an eye out for each other when it comes to going home, especially in dark and practically deserted places like car parks. There is strength in numbers and it pays to be vigilant. 
> 
> Also I have never been to Seattle so all the stuff you see here is based on stuff scoured from Google and the Internet. I would love to get in touch with a native Seattle resident and tell me if there's anything that I can add to the story that would make the setting all the more real and grounded.  
> 
> 
> And a pretty obvious shout-out to _IU_ but that song is seriously cute and no, I don't speak Korean so I don't really know what it's about but I think the tempo really suited this scene in my head.  
> 
> 
> P.S. Ichigo doesn't really care about grocery shopping or _Walmart_. He just wants to spend time with her.  
>  Enjoy!


	14. I Want to Hold Your Hand

_~Ichigo~_

* * *

Despite the accusations made by his _nakama_ , Dr. Ichigo Kurosaki was **not** a pervert. He did not stare at women inappropriately nor did he drool at the sight of tantalizingly exposed skin on said women. There was however an exception to the case and almost certainly a magnetic pull that drew his attention to the sway of his former best friend/current love interest's hips as she sashayed before him.

The heat had her tying her hair in a sloppy ponytail and the plain white sundress she had on hugged her waist perfectly. There was a light breeze in the air that day and the soft breezy material caught on to it, flowing free and billowing out around her. 

His face softened as his lips twitched into a smile. 

As usual the summer heat had made her forego her gravity-defying _Jimmy Choo_ and she had on a pair of sensible sandals instead. According to the drama queen, meeting his gaze was now a feat that required neck-stretching and careful coordination so she didn't "look into the sun accidentally and blind herself". 

The midget had insisted on walking at least five steps ahead so as to keep the "risks" to a minimal. 

Ichigo let her. 

Mostly because she just made it easier for him to ogle at her and the height difference between them had only made her irresistibly cute in his eyes- like the fluffy, doe-eyed bunnies that she always cooed about except cuter. 

If he were an honest man he would tell you that all he wanted to do now was to _squish_ her and keep her tucked into his pocket and carry her wherever he went- _she was certainly tiny enough for it_ , and that the aforementioned woman was his whether she liked to admit it or not. 

If any man so much as look at her- well, he cracked his knuckles, he still had one good arm so just let them _try_. 

That being said, he was also a smart man who valued his life and that of little Ichigo so he wisely kept his mouth shut and tried his absolute best to at least look like he wasn't staring. 

"Are you even listening to me?" 

"W-Wha?" 

* * *

_Oh shit!_

* * *

He had completely zoned out and missed what the _bun_ \- I mean, Rukia was saying to him. And boy did she look pissed! 

Her cheeks were flushed from the heat as they made their way across the car park into the air-conditioned supermarket. 

She rolled her eyes, hands on her cinched waist and eyes twitching with annoyance by his antics or rather his lack of attention on what she was saying. 

Rukia clenched her fists. She growled, stomping her foot indignantly like a child. 

It's just too hot to think and act rationally. Yes, she thought; she blamed it on Ichigo- the _stupid idiot_ and the heat. Being constantly around stupid, ultimately made her stupid and childish too. That, and the heat was setting her on the edge. 

"This is all your fault!" 

He shrugged. 

"Sure it is. It's **my _fault_** we're completely out of grocery and hadn't had a chance to do any shopping since last week. Just like it was **my _fault_** that the girls in the office now think that you live with a hot doctor who by the way _isn't_ your boyfriend?" 

He was greeted once again by the sight of her rolling her magnificent set of cerulean eyes and angrily stalking away towards her air-conditioned oasis, mumbling something about how he was absolutely impossible to deal with and the heat that was going to be the death of her. 

Unaffected by the slightest, Ichigo laughed and yelled back enthusiastically to her disappearing figure as the glass doors opened at her arrival, "Yeah, love you too babe!" 

. 

Cool air hit her body at the exact moment she stepped into the premises, offering her a much-needed respite from the sweltering heat outside. 

She sighed. It felt good to be out of the sun's glare. The feel of sweat sliding down her back was making her feel all sorts of sticky and gross. 

But even that was nothing compared to the way she felt with Ichigo's stare on her- it made her skin tingle and had her gritting her teeth hard when she cast a sly glance to see his shirt practically a see-through at this stage from the sweat and molded to his chest. 

Sometimes she worried about him and his penchant for tight clothing. Honestly how did he even breathe in those tight pants of his? 

"Oi! Earth to Rukia!" 

She whirled around and there he was- good hand on a trolley and the other in a sling. He just looked so calm and unaffected by the heat. She envied him- just a bit, mind you- at his composure. 

The heat tended to drive her insane and turn her into Grinch. 

She wondered sometimes how Ichigo put up with this 'Mr. Hyde'-version of herself. If she were allowed to be perfectly honest to herself, she would admit that she is probably not the easiest person to get along with- a tad too bossy and stubborn enough to think that her way is the best once you get to know her well enough and the heat brought out her worst. 

Rukia walked towards him with her arms folded and her neck craned. There was an inherent mischievous glint within her that was just itching to mess with him. 

It was hardly fair for her to be the only one suffering from the heat. 

She wrinkled her nose. "You stink!" 

"Do not!" he insisted though she did catch him tentatively sniffing himself and she smiled. 

"Nah," she grinned. She stood on her tiptoes and patted his cheek condescendingly. "You're right." 

And without so much as a by your leave, dusted off imaginary dust on her dress and sauntered off into the fresh produce section. 

"I'm just messing with you!" she told him in a sing-song voice. 

He scowled but caught up with her in two long strides and started trailing behind her- trolley in tow. 

"We need more strawberries," he told her as she loaded two boxes of the fruits into the cart, "Grab two more boxes of those." 

She frowned. "No way, I swear we still had two boxes in the fridge when I checked last night." 

"Ah-" he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, clearing his throat- "I might have finished them this morning when you were still sleeping." 

The lines around her eyes wrinkled and her apple cheeks rose unwittingly. She couldn't even hide her smile even if she wanted to. He just made it too easy sometimes. 

"Ichigo Kurosaki, you cannibal!" 

"Shut up! I made smoothies and you drank them too!" 

"Is that your excuse?" 

. 

He growled and in hindsight she should have known that she was pushing him too far and may have conveniently forgotten that the man that she was teasing didn't have much patience to begin with. He also happened to confess to being in love with her and was on a personal mission to _seduce_ her. 

In other words he was a dangerous man and she was playing with fire. 

He abandoned the trolley and marched towards her until they were literally hairs' breadth from each other. He was frowning but there was something in his eyes- the way that he was looking at her that made her breath caught. 

She gulped as she took a step back involuntarily and the back of her knee hit the crates of the fresh fruit display. 

* * *

_Oops!_

* * *

The proximity made her blush but old habits die hard. She simply refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her back down. So she crossed her arms and squared her shoulders. If this was a good old-fashioned stare down contest she was hardly going to be the first one to throw in her towel just because the man has feelings for her.

A saucy smile played on her lips and she stared back confidently. 

Experience taught her that the doctor had always been the first one to break eye contact but what she didn't expect was for him to _move_. 

In one fluid motion, he had bent down to her eye level and kissed her on the lips. Taking advantage of her shock, the sneaky bastard wrapped his good arm around her waist and lifted her into his arms, deepening the kiss as he pressed her against himself. 

The kiss left her breathless, had her putting her arms around his shoulders against her better judgment and ignoring how damp and sweaty he was with the way his shirt clung to his skin. She shut her eyes and surrendered herself to the thoroughly engaging onslaught. 

Rukia curled her toes. More, she realized; she wanted more. The scrape of his teeth on her tongue, the touch of his nose against hers and the curve of his thin lips pressed against hers as they melded together. 

She wanted all of it. 

Nothing frustrated her more when he pulled away from the kiss just as quickly as he had initiated it. 

She pouted and blinked owlishly at the man holding her captive in his arms. His eyes were twinkling with glee and a smug grin tugged at his lips. 

"Admit it. You so have the hots for me, Rukia," he teased as he playfully nudged at her with his nose, "You were definitely puckering just now." 

She forced herself to look away- a faint cloud of pink dusted her cheeks as she awkwardly motioned him to put her down. Her skin felt like it was on fire as she hid her face in the crook of his shoulders. 

* * *

_Kami-sama!_

* * *

She was mortified by the public display and her reaction to the kiss. She **wanted** him to kiss her again and even felt disappointed when he pulled away! What in the world was wrong with her!

She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes, not when he was sporting the most ridiculously smug grin she had ever seen and she was just torn between the desire to throttle him and kissing him. 

"Put me down," she hissed. This was the third time it happened. Since when did he turn into this freakishly strong caveman who was capable of lifting her with just one arm? 

And she bristled; what gave him the right to man-handle her like that- in a public place no less. 

" **NOW**!" she insisted when it became apparent that a crowd had gathered around their vicinity and she could see the suggestive looks thrown in their directions by strangers. God forbid should any of them start wolf-whistling at them or recording them. 

She did _not_ fancy becoming a segment on the local news for a video gone viral. Imagine the disappointment on Nii-sama's face. 

"As you wish," he murmured and gently set her on the ground next to him. He ran a hand through his hair, annoyingly pleased with himself. 

Her eyes twitched. 

"If I knew that this was the best way to shut you up, I would have done it years ago." 

She glared at him and before anyone else could react, stomped hard on his foot. 

He had yelped in surprise and flailed about, hopping on his other foot awkwardly. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she quickly ducked and disappeared into one of the other shopping aisles. 

. 

. 

She was not alone when he found her. 

There was a woman standing opposite her. They were talking or at least seemed like they were talking with how earnestly the other woman's mouth was moving. The stranger was taller than Rukia, dressed in a dark dress that reminded him vaguely of a maid café uniform, especially with that ridiculous hat sitting on top of her head. 

The smile on the other woman's lips was almost cruel as she pointed her perfectly-manicured French nails at his best friend and then laughed at something she said herself. 

He wasn't close enough to overhear the conversation but he had caught the clenched jaw and rigid stance Rukia had taken. Her shoulders were too tight and she was practically gritting her teeth as she forced herself to smile and exchange niceties with the other woman. 

Rukia didn't like the other woman and he trusted her judgment implicitly. 

"There you are, babe!" 

He swooped in to the rescue and felt the weight of two sets of eyes settling on him. He hooked his uninjured arm around her as their gaze met and he could almost see the stress leaving her bones as she leaned into his touch. 

"I thought I lost you in the crowd," he said and sneakily planted a kiss on her lips. The fact that she hadn't even protested spoke volumes about the severity of the situation. Ichigo tightened his hold on her. 

Whoever this woman was- Rukia was wary of her and was angry enough to overlook their very _public_ display of affection just now. 

It was interesting to say the least, so just who was this stranger? 

"Well, Ru-KA aren't you going to introduce me to _your friend_?" 

The magenta-haired woman twirled one of her ponytails absentmindedly as she flashed him a winning smile and bit her lips. Her sultry eyes winked as she proudly puffed out her chest, making the outline of her chest stretch all the more prominently against the tight dress she had on. 

The look she shot him was pure predatory and the smile she gave suggested that the mystery woman was very much interested in him but unfortunately the feelings were not mutual. If anything the way she put Rukia on defensive mode made sure that he wouldn't even spare her a second glance once their meeting was over. 

"It's **RUKIA** , Riruka," the heiress was practically growling and spitting the words out syllable by syllable as though it was causing her physical pain to speak to the woman. It was nice to see Rukia focusing her anger at someone else other than him every now and then. 

"And this is Ichigo, my-" 

He interrupted her before she could finish the sentence. 

"I'm Dr. Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm _Rukia_ 's **boyfriend**." 

He could feel Rukia's eyes snapping over to him in disbelief and he gave her arm a gentle squeeze. 

* * *

_Play along._

* * *

" ** _Boyfriend_**?" the other woman scoffed as she eyed him from head to toe.

The way this Riruka woman was practically leering at him made him uncomfortable especially when her tongue darted out to lick her lips in what she hoped was a seductive invite. 

Satisfied with her findings she told him, "You look like you belong on the front page of _Vogue_. And the way you carry yourself-" she tapped her finger against her full lips- "There's no way Rukia could have gotten someone as _sophisticated_ as you." 

He snorted inwardly. He was about as sophisticated as a monkey at a tea party. He only knew enough about how to get through the sparkling soirees and various dinner galas with careful prompting from Rukia. The way this woman was just layering it on so thickly and kept pushing out her chest at him just made him gag a little. 

"Why haven't we seen you at any of the high school reunions? Rukia has done a very nice job of hiding you for herself. It's almost as if she's _ashamed_ of you. Is that why you never talk about him, Rukia?" 

He could feel Rukia's hackles rising with that comment. He silently slipped his hand into hers to calm her down. She squeezed back and he took over the conversation before she lost her fiery temper and lashed out. 

"I'm afraid that's my fault. I am a very private person and I have been very busy- you know being a brain surgeon and all. Rukia is such a supportive and understanding angel, aren't you my love?" 

"Brain surgeon?" 

Riruka's eyes widened as she playfully leaned in to touch him on his injured arm and Ichigo had to fight the urge to slap her offending digits away. 

He was a gentleman and he would never hit a woman but that being said he hated being touched by anyone other than Rukia, so if the woman tried to touch his face or anywhere else, you can rest assured he wouldn't hold back. 

" _No_ ," she giggled, drawling out the word with glee, "you're just making things up, right?!" 

She turned her rose-coloured eyes at Rukia. 

"Rukia," she cooed and he could feel his best friend's grip tightening on his hand, "He's making this up, isn't he? I mean _no offence_ but you're just too young and good-looking to be a brain surgeon, Ichigo. " 

"Actually-" Rukia cleared her throat loudly; stepping into her role as the supportive and understanding _girlfriend_ with as much giggling schoolgirl enthusiasm she could muster- "he can. I must have forgotten to mention that he's a genius. Graduated top of his class from _Harvard_ and you know how hard it is to get accepted there, right?" 

Riruka's smile faltered but she had replaced it quickly enough with a saccharine smile. 

"Well you're just so lucky, Rukia! He's _so_ dreamy. Just what sort of black magic have you got him hooked on? How did you two even meet? Like _no offence_ Rukia but Ichigo is _way_ out of your league." 

Ichigo twitched. How dare that woman speak like that to her! 

Fake boyfriend or not. 

That bitch was going **down**! 

"We were in the same class for Literature in Harvard actually," came his smooth reply, "It was love at first sight for me but it took years before I worked up the guts to ask her out for coffee. Still we got there in the end, didn't we honey bunch?" 

The Kuchiki heiress blushed as he planted another kiss- this time on her cheek. The glare she threw him spoke about her displeasure over the use of cutesy terms of endearment but it was half-hearted at best. 

He grinned. The way she was being so compliant to him and his kisses was making this a very good day indeed. 

Cooing loudly, he said, "She's just so adorably shy and has absolutely no idea how _cute_ I find her to be." 

With the years of familiarity and friendship they had between them, he supposed that it should be no surprise with how quickly Rukia caught on to his game and was going toe-to-toe with him in the competition for the world's mushiest couple. 

She batted her eyelashes at him. 

"Oh but that's nothing compared to you, _darling_!" 

She flashed the other woman a smile, being enormously proud of her man and letting it show for once. And in a way having Ichigo as a partner was easy- she was genuinely proud of Ichigo's work and what he did for a living. 

"Did you know that the local news did a segment on him a few weeks back? He saved a pregnant woman. Hurt himself in the process- the big baby but his department head just _adores_ him. He's such a _hero_!" 

"Oh but that's _nothing_ compared to how kind Rukia is! She's just so _selfless_ and practically throws herself into taking care of her friends when they're in need." 

His hand felt warm, giving her the strength and confidence she never knew she had within her. Rukia smiled before turning the dial from 'enthusiastic girlfriend' to 'utterly besotted fangirl'. 

"He's so _modest_ , isn't he? But I swear he's just the most hardworking man I've ever met and all those people he had helped with those long hours he puts in just makes me so _proud_ of him!" 

He grinned at her. "You must be the most _talented_ woman I have ever met. You're a best-selling author who also manages a day job at a fashion magazine. I'm so proud of you when you accepted the job at _Meow!Meow!_ \- 

"Hang on, you're telling me Rukia Kuchiki works at **THE** _Meow!Meow!_?" Riruka screeched rudely, "No way! Ms. Shihoin is notorious for being picky about her editorial staff! There's no way in hell!" 

It felt as though her world was thrown off its orbit as she clenched her fists and had her eyes sought out Rukia's in disbelief, "How the hell did you even get in?" 

Both of them wisely chose to ignore her outburst as Ichigo continued unperturbed,his eyes glinting as he grinned and pecked at her lips. "Is it any wonder that I have fallen in love with you?" 

Rukia gave an evil schoolgirl giggle as she spied the thinly-veiled look of disgust on the woman's face. Their corny gushing and nauseatingly sweet way they had cooing over each other was ridiculous- it was enough to drive anyone reaching for a bucket to heave, let alone a spotlight hogger like Riruka who would very much wilt like a flower without the sun if she felt there wasn't enough attention being paid to her. 

Worse than that of course was the jealousy that was practically tearing the woman apart on the inside and karma they said was a bitch. Her disbelief and anger that Rukia had gotten her coveted position was the kindling of a flame and the Kuchiki heiress wasn't going to stop until it became a towering bonfire. 

She looked forward to every second of it. 

The dark-haired woman wretched Riruka's hand off Ichigo's forearm under the guise of admiring her engagement ring. The latter's face became pinched as she tried valiantly to free her wrist but Rukia held on with a death grip and a gleam in her eyes. Ichigo swore if it wasn't because he was in love with her already he would have fallen in love with her all over again. 

"That's a beautiful ring you got there," she cooed, "You and Tsukishima-san got engaged last year didn't you?" 

Riruka had faltered as if unsure where the conversation was headed but ultimately recovered and ceased her struggles. Beaming haughtily, she eagerly shoved her hand into Rukia's face, proudly letting the diamond on her ring finger catch the gleam from the surrounding light. 

"I thought you'd never ask," the other woman preened, "The wedding preparations have been so tedious and time-consuming. I keep telling Tsuki-chan's mother that lace is so last century and I've got the bridesmaids' dressed picked out and the wedding dress- _have I told you about the dress_? It's a one-of-a-kind _Vera Wang_ and I-" 

"Yes well I hope he's got a better ring lined up for the wedding," Rukia interrupted. 

"Excuse me?" 

"Well I mean _no offence_ but a two carat diamond engagement ring is just so common these days and almost disgraceful for people in our social circle. You know Rurichiyo- the Kasumioji heiress right? Her engagement ring was at least a four carat and you know what her husband's family does for a living. I only thought that Tsukishima-san with his family business in real estate would buy you a bigger diamond." 

Rukia shrugged and cooed sympathetically, "I mean it's the least he could do, right? **_Doesn't he love you_**?" 

The other woman snatched her hand back hastily as if she had been burnt and evil Rukia couldn't have been happier. She just smiled as she released the woman's hand and watched as her world fell apart. 

* * *

_Mission accomplished._

* * *

Poor Riruka stood there with her mouth gaping like a goldfish and if she were a nicer person perhaps Rukia might even feel sorry for her. Bullies however got what was coming to them and Rukia had no sympathy for them.

With a bright innocent smile that would have put the stars to shame, she bid her farewell. There was no use for sticking around to see the carnage after the victory after all. 

"Well I would love to stick around and chat but we've got to be on our way," she chirped. 

The smile on Ichigo's face mirrored hers as he said, "Bye, _Itsuka_! It was nice meeting you." 

That seemed to have snapped the stunned woman out of her stupor as she scowled viciously and growled, "It's **RIRUKA**!" 

Rukia had a hand to her heart in mock apology and her theatrical charms poured forth. 

" _Oh you must forgive Ichigo_! He's not being rude intentionally. He's just a bit forgetful when it comes to faces and names, especially the _unimportant_ ones." 

With that last repartee, the heiress smirked at the fuming woman and sashayed away with her man- head held high and positively glowing with pride. 

. 

"Well that certainly came from a deep and dark place," Ichigo said as they made their exit, "I have never seen you so vicious and the way you tore into her- a bit of an overkill, don't you think, Rukia?" 

Rukia snorted, "She made my life a living hell in school. I was surprised to see her here in the States actually. I pretended I didn't see her but she just came right up to me and started acting like it was high school all over again!" 

Her grip tightened on his hand. 

"I didn't expect an apology, Ichigo," she told him, "but the way she behaved like she thought I would just cower and roll over like I did all those years ago just brought back all those bad memories. High school was over like ten years ago. Did she honestly think her stupid cheerleader routine was going to work? That I would stay the same helpless victim I was all those years ago?" 

She growled, "It just makes me so mad!" 

He squeezed their linked hands in response. 

"I'm sorry," he murmured, "I didn't know. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you. Had I known she bullied you I would have-" 

"No, you've done enough," she told him firmly, "playing the part of one half of the world's most sickeningly sweet couple is a lot to ask for, especially from you." 

She smirked, "If I have to listen to you gush about how _perfect_ and _lovely_ I am for another second, I don't think I would have been able to hold my breakfast down." 

"Hey!" Ichigo protested, "I meant every word I said just now- albeit less exaggerated! To think that you doubt the depth of my feelings for you, Rukia? And I really liked the way you were bragging about me- listing my achievements, lauding me as a genius in front of that woman. Tell me," he paused, "was that a lie too." 

Rukia squinted at him. 

"Stop being ridiculous! You know I meant them! I'm really proud of you and appreciate what you did for me back there. I know I don't say it enough but Ichigo," she smiled, "thank you!" 

His face turned pink. 

"Yeah well you're my girl. As if I would let anyone mess with you." 

It was unfair how easily he could throw her off course with his words. Knowing that he meant what he said made it all the more harder to brush them off. 

* * *

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_

* * *

"I-I-I'm not your girl!"

He shrugged, "Not _yet_ , you mean. We both know that I'm going to win eventually." 

She glared at him, forcing him to look away and clear his throat loudly. 

"On a lighter note, should I take it to mean that you won't accept anything less than a four-carat diamond as an engagement ring?" 

" **WHAT**? **NO**!" she spluttered, "Who would want a gaudy thing like that? Anything more than a two-carat belongs in a display case if you ask me." 

"Really?" he asked, "I mean you did just tell the bitch that anything less than four carat is disagreeable to someone in your 'social circle'. I have to wonder if that's some stupid upper class unwritten rule that a guy just inherently has to know before he pops the big question." 

"I was _acting_ , you big dolt!" she snorted, "Did you really think I was going to be so shallow? It's a rock that sparkles. I couldn't care less about them." 

Her eyes narrowed. 

"Wait! Why do you care what nobles think?" she asked, "You hate these things." 

"Oh no reason at all-" He chuckled nervously, suddenly finding the display signs hanging above them very interesting- "I was just curious that's all. It's almost like a social study or social science thing isn't it? Seeing how the 1% of the world live and breathe and conduct themselves in affairs involving holy matrimony." 

She rolled her eyes. Ichigo can be such a weirdo at times. 

"Whatever," she said, not paying the subject any more mind, "Material girls like Riruka Dokugamine are insecure and attention-seeking. They think the only way to prove you love them is by buying them big-ass diamond rings. Hardly the kind of the people I would share the same opinion with." 

"Ah," he said. If she thought it was weird how his grip on her hand relaxed after that she didn't let it show on her face. 

"Well after today I don't think she'll ever bother you again." 

She nodded with pursed lips. 

"You think you can let go of my hand now?" she eyed their linked hands suspiciously. "My palm's getting kinda sweaty." 

"W-Wha-NO!" he tightened his grip, refusing to let go, "I mean- we're supposed to be a couple aren't we? For all we know she might still be lurking somewhere inside this place trying to catch us out." 

He winced. 

It sounded lame and if he had a free hand he would probably face-palm himself so hard it would leave an imprint enough to last till the next century. Rukia could see through his whole flimsy excuse easily and - 

"Okay." 

* * *

_What?!_

* * *

He turned to look at her- mouth gaping and probably the furthest thing from dignified when he noticed the faint blush dusting her cheeks. Her eyes were the deepest shade of indigo blue- like the colour of the midnight sky and all the mystery of life contained within them. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and he could feel a slight tremble in her grip.

She had been the first to pull away from his gaze. Cheeks still flaming red and eyes pointed straight ahead. Her face was unreadable- expressionless even but she didn't let go. 

He squeezed back and smiled. 

"O-Okay then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dorks! What happened to the shopping? Who's gonna push the trolley? XD
> 
> Domestic scene #2 features our two dorks shopping and being gross af.
> 
> It goes without saying that the award for the mushiest _fake_ couple in the world goes to my babies in this chapter.


	15. Little Lies

_~Rukia~_

* * *

_Bird-boned and fragile- he had called her. With his unfathomable blue grey eyes appraising her and the sense of dread that marked her initiation into Society, he had nicknamed her Bluebird- inspiring, iridescent, a summer fledgling who was better suited for warmer climates, a better world than this._

_She wouldn't last in their world or so he had solemnly declared._

_She spent years trying to outlive his prophecy. The name stuck but eventually its association with that of a hungry child, who begged, lied and stole her way into the Society stopped. In their place came a girl who wore as many faces as she needed to, who held secrets within her haunted eyes, who tucked knives into velvet hand gloves, kept an armoire of poison hidden within the Good Book, made misery her business and where she went, a body count soon followed._

_She had defied everything her wizened tutor had declared her to be, jumped through all the hoops they set before her and proved her worth time and time again._

_Bluebirds were fair weather creatures with hope on their wings- Yuki Aomori was neither. She was feared, a Legend and she was here to stay._

_But the old man was right about one thing- she hated the cold._

. 

_The rain weighted her down- soaking through her layers of clothes until a puddle formed under her and chilled her to her very bones until her lips were blue and her teeth chattering from the cold but colder still was the feeling of dread that coiled inside of her- flooding her senses with their poison and dulled them._

_The voices in her head that she had been suppressing, the feelings that she had been bottling up for so long; those emotions came to a head and suddenly there was nowhere else to run._

_Yuki's hand shook. The feel of metal in her hand was foreign and heavy- was there ever a time when pulling the trigger came as easily as breathing to her? Could she ever get rid of the stain of blood coating her hands?_

_Why was she even doing this?_

_What was she even trying to accomplish here?_

_Foolish girl! Surely she must know- nothing; absolutely nothing can make it right now. The things that she had done- the wrongs she was trying to right; they are insurmountable._

_Who was this girl holding the gun- no; who was this person before her- her enemy or the friend she once knew?_

_She winced as the pounding in her head got worse._

_Nothing made sense anymore. The whole thing was wrong. Everything was wrong to begin with._

_The weapon dropped to the floor with a loud clatter as she lost her grip and sank to her knees. The sh-_

* * *

"Hey!"

She yelped as the laptop was ruthlessly plucked away from her lap and the earphones yanked off. She glared at her housemate from her perch. Sitting cross-legged on her bed, she hadn't move from her comfy position since she woke up. The need for food, for breakfast barely registered as the peach slices that Ichigo had so graciously cut for her sat untouched on the ceramic plate by her side. 

For the past three hours she had been toiling away in front of her laptop, earphones blasting away to the tunes of _Lana Del Rey_ and _Joji_ while her fingers were viciously pounding on the keyboard, trying to put the words to the outline of the latest chapter of her novel. 

But that was all before the idiot decided to butt in and make his presence known. 

She made a shooing motion at him. 

"Ichigo, go bother someone else. I'm finally getting somewhere with Yuki!" she told him tersely. Yuki, the protagonist of her still untitled work- was proving to be a more challenging character than expected. As a villainess who lost her memories, the woman was slowly coming to terms with how her past ruthlessness, her sheer conviction of how the end justifies the means had led to this- the inner conflict of self-hate and regret within her that peaked with her confrontation with an ex-associate- the very embodiment of someone she used to be. 

The sight of him wagging his finger at her made her grit her teeth hard, especially when he kept the laptop within an arm's length of himself but completely out of reach for her. 

"Uh uh, no can do you sadistic little workaholic!" 

The way she works honestly scared him at times. The way her dedication pushed her to the brink of forgetting breakfast in her quest for perfection- he was both a little proud and annoyed at her focus. 

He frowned at the untouched platter of peach slices. What would his little workaholic do without him? 

"Doctor's orders," he told her. He smirked as he settled down next to her on the bed and rested the silver _MacBook_ behind him. "No more work until you eat something." 

She pouted and he fought the urge to smile at her petulant expression. 

"Come on, Ichigo. Just one more paragraph." 

He was being unreasonable. She was even asking so nicely, would probably throw in a 'please' since she was in a particularly generous mood. 

"Hah! Nice try but the answer's still no," he insisted in a tone that brooked no arguments especially considering the fact that he was still holding her laptop hostage. 

"Now open wide and say 'ah'." 

He stabbed at the fruit slices with a fork and held it against her lips. 

"Open up," he told her, "you know you want to." 

The slice of peach on the end of the fork stared at her temptingly- cut into perfect mouthful sizes and its pale pink flesh gleamed with a coat of freshness. The promise of sweet sustenance had her mouth watering and she swallowed thickly at the sight. Faced with no other alternatives, she grudgingly opened her mouth and allowed him to feed her. 

As she sank her teeth into the tender flesh, her initial hesitance morphed into delight as each bite brought forth an explosion of sweet, delicious juices inside her mouth. The corners of her lips twitched upwards at the tingling on the tip of her tongue as she chewed and swallowed. The hunger pang that she kept at bay since morning came back with a vengeance as she felt her stomach rumbling in response. 

The moan of pleasure that she heaved as Ichigo fed her yet another slice was entirely reflexive as her eyes fluttered close- its sweet aftertaste still lingering on her palate. 

Her toes curled as she hummed happily, thoroughly enjoying the experience of being waited on hand and foot. 

Ichigo chuckled- low and throaty, causing her heart to clench over the sound; a trigger of something that hit her deep where she least expected it and left her wanting for more. Would it be so bad if she admitted that she liked the sound of it, that she's half in love with the idea of making him happy and that the other half would willingly follow suit if she w- 

"That looks really juicy," he teased- interrupting her train of thought, "Mind if I take a _bite_?" 

She made the mistake of looking at him. The dying streaks of the day filtering through the window had cast a golden sheen to him, those serious, typically frowning features of his softened by the lazy smile tugging at his lips and the warmth in his eyes as he looked at her- 

* * *

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_

* * *

Those butterscotch eyes of his found hers and she knew she was a lost cause. When he looked at her like that, she was woman enough to concede that there was a part of her that would go to the very ends of the world for him and if he were to tell her lies like she was the most beautiful creature that he had ever laid eyes upon, stupid and untrue as it was; she could be persuaded to believe him too.

"S-S-Sure," Rukia stuttered, her mouth still half full and chewing. There was more than enough Shimizu White Peaches to share between the two of them and absolutely no reason why her heavy tongue and her face feeling as though on the very verge of combustion couldn't be blamed on global warming. 

She took the fork and offered to feed him just as he had done for her. This was a friendly gesture she felt and nothing she couldn't handle. 

Her eyes narrowed when she noticed his gaze lowering to her lips. 

"Ichig-" 

* * *

_Clang!_

* * *

The metal cutlery dropped with a loud clang onto the plate.

His lips pressed against hers, so soft and chaste but sent her heart racing nonetheless. Her lips had looked so inviting to him- smeared with the decadent richness of peaches that he relished as he gently slid his tongue across her bottom lip and sucked. 

She gasped. From those rose petal lips and with a shaky breath that had him on his knees before her, she breathed his name with such broken longing and with that condemned them to an ache both wretched and divine. 

Suddenly they were sharing more than mere peach slices, more than delightful sunset kisses that incinerated the boundaries of simple friendship- the very parameters that she had fought nail and tooth to maintain- 

* * *

_More, more, more._

* * *

This was the contented sigh of warm bodies pressed against each other, a furtive whisper heard in the dead of the night as nameless hands glided across heated skin, the hiss of displeasure brought on by the hindrance of pesky clothing-

* * *

_Lover._

* * *

Yes, she thought to herself- this was what lovers did.

* * *

_From these wretched lips to my lover divine-_

* * *

She shivered as lightning coursed through her veins, igniting her senses and making it harder to breathe. His kisses were the honeyed temptations that led her astray from the path of platonic friendship, worse still they ripped apart her nonchalance- her white lies and feigned indifference.

These secrets that she held tight and wrapped tighter still within her heart of hearts came tumbling out when he cradled her to his chest and made her believe. 

Peach juices- succulent, sweet, sticky; remnants of the slice that she had hurriedly swallowed dripped down her chin. Butterfly kisses marked the trail of the trickling liquid- from the corners of her gasping mouth, down the length of her throat, lingering about her collar bone languidly. A helpless sigh and breathless moan of his name had her clamp a hand to her mouth and she could scarcely face herself- embarrassed with this wanton woman she had turned into but he growled at her to do it again and so she did, louder even as he grounded his hips to hers. 

* * *

_Forsake not the plea of this desperate mortal-_

* * *

Rukia's surprise at the sudden action allowed him entrance as he sensually swept his tongue against hers. Her eyes fluttered shut as his tongue pressed against hers, coaxing hers out to play, to explore, to fall deep. He settled himself between her thighs- a slow, tortuous pace set to punish her as he rubbed himself against her and in the haze of delicious friction, her only response was to wrap her arms around his neck and draw him in further.

* * *

_I vow to tell you no lies-_

* * *

These kisses were a message coded in a language that only lovers spoke and with them he composed a sonnet when mere words have failed.

What do you say to a woman who has bewitched you- body and soul, who has become your meaning of existence, who made a habit of stealing pieces of your heart until it became hers in entirety- yet still denied her claim to it? 

His fingers entangled themselves in her hair as he tried to reason with her. She must see- surely she must; he will make her see if there is no other way- it was her and him all along. 

With every brush of his tongue against hers it was a plea, a soulful lament and a confession of one's deepest darkest wants- the desperation for more that grew from countless sleepless nights. 

* * *

_Can you see- see what you have reduced this proud man to?_

* * *

Ichigo melded his body to hers, coiling his good arm around her and breathed her in deeper. There is no end to this longing and if she let him, he would spend this lifetime and the next proving his worthiness and devotion to her. Nothing existed beyond this moment in time- just them, the sound of their heartbeats, breaths mingling, bodies wrapped around each other.

* * *

_So please. Say 'yes'._

* * *

What was oxygen to lovers when the need for more outweighs that of to breathe, if this was what it meant to die by asphyxiation- how was it that she had never felt more alive than now?

Her heart was pounding when they finally broke apart for air. Their eyes met and Rukia absentmindedly ran her tongue over her swollen lips, feeling breathless and satiated all at once. 

Grinning, Ichigo rested his forehead to hers- the steady thrum of his heartbeat beating in sync to hers. Her eyes darted across his face, carefully cataloguing his wolfish smirk, the nervous bob of his Adam's apple, the hazy, almost contented look in his eyes as he held on to her. Hot breath fanned her warm face and almost instinctively she could feel her body stiffening in anticipation. Her damp sex and erratic pulse made her acutely aware of their non-existent distance. 

She was entirely at his mercy and she wasn't sure she had the resolve to push him away, especially as she spied the entirely predatory gleam in his eyes- ready to pounce and continue exactly where they left off should she so much as breathe in his direction. 

Rukia gulped. Her fists clenched as she realized with horror that the question that she was dying to ask Ichigo was not _why did you do it_? 

It was _why did you stop_? 

His presence was suddenly suffocating and his embrace became a chokehold that she couldn't wait to get out of. It all became a little too much- the truth that she was trying to deny, the writing on the wall that she was trying to ignore and the feelings she was trying to outrun. 

Even if she managed to withstand the temptation of him during the 2.5 months, how could they go back to just being platonic friends now when he had just offered her a glimpse into a future filled with lazy Sunday brunches in bed and searing kisses against bleeding skies? 

Of a lover's touch so gentle it melted away the years of her self-imposed isolation and of a love so constant and sincere that dared her to believe that _she is enough_. 

That unlike Kaien, Ichigo is different- he'll stay and he loves her, almost as fiercely as she does. 

She couldn't breathe. 

He's much too close- the hope in his eyes, the soft smile playing on his lips, the bronze gild of the sun on his face. She willed her eyes shut when it became too painful to stare into his eyes. 

* * *

_Please don't hate me._

* * *

"Leave," she told him.

Rukia didn't have to look at him to see the devastation left in the wake. She heard it in the way he spluttered in disbelief, his jaw muscles clenched as he remained torn between the want to grab her by the shoulders and reason with her or finally throwing in the towel and give up on her- on _this_. 

The cynic in her felt vindicated. She knew all along- it was going to turn out this way because people don't stay- not for her at least, because she's not enough- could never be enough and Ichigo deserved someone better. 

"Why?" 

She hated how broken he sounded- hated how she was the person who made him this way, but you have to be cruel to be kind and at the end of the day, she realized that she loved herself more. What happened then- with Kaien, once was more than enough. 

"Because you deserve better." 

Yes, better than this stoic, socially-awkward heiress- forever chasing after the things she had no business yearning for, forever left behind in the shadows, never learning from her mistakes. 

"Well I don't want better. I want **you**!" 

Rukia winced when she saw the broken look in his eyes- the hurt he carefully masked and hid behind a stony expression as he got up wordlessly. Unbidden her hand reached out, his name on the tip of her tongue but just as quickly retracted. 

She chided herself- hadn't she done enough, hurt him enough? 

The door shut with a soft click as he exited the room and she finally let her defenses crumble. How stupid she was- to think that it would be different this time? 

It was always going to end this way except this time she would rather be the first one to cast the stone than the one left behind to pick up the pieces. 

. 

. 

Rukia didn't know how she ended up like this but one thing led to another and what started out as an attempt to take her mind off Ichigo and the hopelessness of her romantic entanglement turned into a girls' night out with all the girls from _Meow!Meow!_ at Yoruichi's favourite bar. 

"Never have I ever shared a living space with a guy." 

* * *

_Drink._

* * *

The poison of choice for tonight was vodka and the liquor made her eyes water as she gulped down the contents of the shot glass.

"Never have I ever had a guy as my best friend." 

* * *

_Drink._

* * *

The sharpness of the alcohol burnt as she tossed her drink back but even that was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.

"Never have I ever kissed said best friend." 

Rukia got up, pushing the chair back noisily as she glared at the woman. 

Seated opposite her, Yoruichi merely smirked at that and then teased, "What's the matter Rukia-chan? The night's still young or are you in a hurry to get back home to your _boyfriend_?" 

That was a low blow and she knew it. She didn't know how Yoruichi found out about the kiss but the fact that she knew mortified the authoress. Here she was thinking that she was in safe company- away from Ran's insistent meddling, Orihime, Ishida-san, and anyone who thinks that they've got the relationship between her and the orange-haired surgeon figured out. 

Rukia's face coloured- a potent mix of alcohol and embarrassment did not help her in the slightest when it came to denying the other woman's sly insinuations. Her only consolation in this situation was the fact that Ran was not there to add fuel to the fire. 

"He is **NOT** my boyfriend!" 

Yoruichi scoffed. Momo who was seated next to her stifled her giggles in response and Rukia was rendered speechless by their antics. More so when she noticed the sniggers from her other colleagues seated further down the table. 

* * *

_Kill me now._

* * *

She spluttered, "Does everyone here know about Ichigo?"

A careful scan down the table and the fact that all her colleagues were either carefully avoiding her gaze or pointedly looking away from her confirmed her worst suspicions. She groaned in frustration. 

She should have known stupid Ichigo and his stupid mouth was trouble. 

And now the whole office knew when really all she wanted was some anonymity and female company to laugh along with as she drank her sorrow away. 

"Well, go on," said Yoruichi, "don't leave the audience in suspense. Tell us! I came here- lured by the sweet promise of alcohol and female bonding for some gossip and girl talk. So how goes you and your man? Trouble in paradise?" 

Rukia growled, "There's nothing to tell and he's **NOT** my man." 

Momo shot her a sheepish smile- she was the reason why the whole office knew about Ichigo a.k.a. _Rukia's hot live-in boyfriend_. She really thought the two were a lot closer than what Rukia let on, especially with the way the man had looked at Rukia when she wasn't looking and how utterly relaxed the other woman's stance was when he stood next to her. 

Rukia had always seemed so cool and to a certain degree almost unapproachable with how professional she was at work- from her immaculately ironed blazers and the spotless starch white blouses she seemed to favour right down to the perfectionist attitude she had with her articles. _Ichigo_ was actually the first instance that she caught a glimpse of her colleague's private life and saw a different side to Rukia- a Rukia who will shout, stomp her feet and curse; a human Rukia that Momo could actually relate to and be friends with. 

The brunette had thought that the whole thing with Ichigo was a good way to break the ice between her colleague and the rest of the group, to let them see that the raven-haired woman isn't as cold as they thought she was and hopefully Rukia would see that the girls are as genuine as they come by and would like nothing more than to be her friends- if she would let them. 

The last thing she wanted to do was to cause Rukia any distress. 

"Did you two break up?" Momo asked quietly. 

Rukia hated how her heart clenched at the question, hated how bitter she sounded when she told her, "We were never together to begin with. It was all just some stupid bet and stupid Ichigo should have just kept his mouth shut." 

She pursed her lips- feeling as though she had said too much when she had already willed herself not to think about him anymore. Three more shots of vodka now seemed like a surprisingly good way to end the discussion and a perfectly good way to end the night. 

Of course the girls were having none of it. 

Sensing that there was more to the story, Yachiru- spunky, boisterously curious to the point of being nosy and seated at furthest end of the table dived in for the kill and Rukia could feel the stares on her while the young girl pried for details. 

Fending off the barrage of questions thrown at her by the younger woman, Rukia shook her head, motioning to the bartender for another shot of vodka. She had always been a private person and talking about the problem never really solved it. 

"There's nothing to tell. Ichigo is just a guy who I happen to be best friends wit-" 

"Who also happens to be the guy you've been living together with for the past month," interrupted Momo, which earned her a heated glare from Rukia. 

"Who is also the guy you _kissed_ and been vehemently denying your feelings for since college." 

Yoruichi's pointed quip made her choke mid-drink. Liquid fire went up her nose and she was in pure agony as her eyes watered and she spluttered- thumping at her chest and coughing loudly, much to the concern of Momo. 

" **YORUICHI**!" Rukia screeched as soon as she regained her voice. She clambered over to clamp a hand to the woman's mouth but she could tell it was too late when she noticed how the other women's ears pricked up at the statement and began none-too subtly crowding towards her. 

"I-I-I don't have feelings for him," she finished weakly as her mind raced. How did Yoruichi know about this? Was she a friend of Ran's- another so-called staunch Ichiruki shipper or did she know – 

* * *

_Ichigo!_

* * *

She facepalmed.

How could she have forgotten that Ichigo was the one who had essentially handed her the introductions to Yoruichi in the guise of returning a missing jacket and with that, the chance to work at _Meow!Meow!_? Through some mysterious six degrees of separation the older woman must be connected to Ichigo's social circle in the hospital and someone somewhere must have blabbed about what happened the night he broke his arm. 

At this point even Rukia was beginning to see how futile her denial was. His presence was entirely too saturated and entrenched in her world that running away was impossible. 

Everything eventually came back to him. 

The bubblegum-pink-haired Yachiru though seemed to take the exasperated gesture as an affirmation. She tsked and tutted, a sympathetic glance in Rukia's direction as she said, "Oh you poor thing! It must be hard- pining after a man, especially since college-" she handed the raven-haired woman another shot glass- "Drink up! We'll take care of you." 

Rukia's eye twitched as she mumbled her thanks. While the offer was nice and almost touching, a surge of annoyance was bubbling within her. Rukia Kuchiki did not pine- not since Kaien at least and if anything Ichigo was the one pining after her; not the other way round! 

Still she bore the sympathetic gazes well and rigidly held the smile in place. If that's what it took for the girls to leave her alone she would gladly play the role of the pining woman and shed tears of silent agony while they ply her with drinks. 

Of course, things rarely go according to plan. 

"It's hard I know, Rukia-san," said Isane. Rukia turned her gaze to the tall woman seated to her right. Isane-san had always been quiet and rarely had anything to add in the boardroom meetings but here even Rukia was moved by the compassionate tone. 

"The good ones are always either taken or playing for the other team. Yumichika said-" 

Rukia did a double take here. What a small world they live in- never mind how Isane-san knew the crazy fashionista to begin with; but what role could the effeminate man possibly play in this? 

"-He's always suspected that Ichigo was too pretty to be straight," Isane added, almost apologetically and Rukia promptly choked on her spit. 

They thought that Ichigo's gay?! 

Stupidly, all she could conjure in her mind were the images of a thoroughly sated Ichigo greeting her with nuzzling Eskimo kisses and a lazy, slow smile in the kitchen during the wee hours of dawn, of warm gooey honey on pancakes with crispy bacon, of his silent companionship on Sunday afternoons, of a deep sense of belonging when he held her in his arms, of delicious hot kisses that would have turned a weaker woman into mush- 

Oh dear Lord, her face was on fire but suffice to say Ichigo is not gay and can the girls please change the topic to something else? 

" **WHAT**?! No way!" said Kiyone as she rose to her feet. Despite being a younger sister to the demure Isane, the two girls couldn't have set themselves further apart. Aside from their obvious physical differences, the younger Kotetsu was a talker with a sense of enthusiasm that rivaled that of Ran's when it came to gossips. 

"I heard that Ichigo is actually secretly in love with another doctor in _Seattle Grace Mercy West_. Can't remember her name but apparently she's got gorgeous red hair and get this-" the blonde motioned the girls to come closer as she mock whispered- "the girl broke his heart when she ditched him for a well-connected heart surgeon in the same hospital." 

Now that's just rude, Rukia thought. Orihime may be bubbly, ditzy, a bit of a klutz and continuously mystified with her culinary skills and exotic taste buds but gold-digger and backstabber she was not. If anything the voluptuous woman had a heart of gold and the patience of a saint- even Ichigo admitted to feeling jealous about how quickly she connected with her patients and put them at ease. 

How could people even spread such malicious lies about her? 

Enough was enough. The petite woman was now filled with righteous fury and had half a mind to question the girls on their sources because their version of events was quite possibly the furthest thing from the truth. 

"You guys have got it all wrong!" 

All five pairs of eyes turned towards her and she could feel herself faltering under the weight of their heavy gaze. 

"Well then by all means, enlighten us Rukia," purred the previously silent Yoruichi. Her trademark Cheshire grin was now fully directed at her and every fibre of Rukia's being was screaming at her about the impending danger. 

"Set the record straight for once, why don't you?" the older woman carelessly suggested as she twirled a stray lock of her hair, "It's what we came here for." 

This was bait- a trap that Rukia could see from miles away. 

* * *

_Don't fall for it._

* * *

A sober Rukia would have clamped her mouth shut and let the girls talk. Why should she even care - this had nothing to do with her?

The last thing she wanted was for people to know what was really going on between her and Ichigo- that things were changing between her and her platonic best friend, that there might be some truth hidden in the rumours after all and that secretly Rukia Kuchiki- ice cold and the very picture of aloof elegance on the outside had inevitably fallen for her best friend. 

People spin enough versions of what goes on between them so what was a few more to add to the collection. She's done a fine job of ignoring them up till now, hadn't she? 

* * *

_Sit down and shut up._

* * *

Her brain was always the one giving sound advice. Pity alcohol and liquid courage never went hand in hand with sound logic. And maybe because deep down inside the turmoil was eating her alive and even if talking about the problem didn't solve it; it felt good to have support.

So she folded- just this once. 

Bit by bit, she found her voice. Wasn't it funny that though she made a living out of publicizing parts of her private life as a columnist- the hardest thing she struggled with was coming clean about her own feelings? 

She told the girls all about her deal with Ichigo, the 2.5 month bet of whether or not Ichigo can make her fall, her changing feelings, of what actually happened in the hospital, of what happened that morning, of how she was shaking just thinking about how things were going to be between them now. 

Ultimately though, it came to her dilemma of not wanting to hurt Ichigo but at the same time not wanting to be hurt by him; about loving a person so much that life became unbearable without them but at the same time the importance of maintaining distance because life became too difficult when your happiness became hinged upon theirs. Liquid courage loosened her tongue and she gave a no-holds barred expose on her love life, her past experience with Kaien- a subject she had sworn an oath of silence to, and what she was hoping to avoid with Ichigo. 

Since Kaien, Rukia had always maintained a philosophy that romantic love made you stupid and seeing the dumbfounded look on the girls after she had divulged her tale- she resisted the urge to facepalm. She reached for a shot glass. 

She really should have just kept her mouth shut. 

After a good few minutes of pregnant pause, the girls finally came round. 

. 

"So you're saying that Ichigo's actually the one who's pining after you and you actually like him too?" asked Yachiru- disbelief was coating her tone and Rukia wasn't sure if she preferred this accusatory tone to that of the earlier sympathy-filled one. 

"When you put it like that," she mused. 

"That the gorgeous man has been seducing you for the past month and you have been doing everything you can to push him away?" added Momo. 

Rukia gulped as she saw the glare thrown in her direction. 

"I-I-I have my reasons." 

"Not good enough, Rukia," drawled Yoruichi, "I didn't know Byakubo raised such a coward in the place of his sister." 

Rukia's eyes narrowed. There it was again- this sort of casual revelation of some sort of familiar connections among random people in her social circle! And she was the last to know- the only one kept in the dark. Granted the Shihoins are well-connected and members of nobility but no one told her of a close- bordering on familial, judging by the fond nickname being used- relationship between her respectable Nii-sama and the Shihoin heiress before her. 

What's next- that Ichigo and Kaien are secretly related and her love life was cursed? 

"You guys don't understand," she groaned miserably, "what I have with Ichigo- the friendship- the nakama-hood we share is something I'm not willing to risk for the sake of whatever this short-lived fling is." 

"Well whoever said anything about this fling being short-lived?" Yoruichi asked as she fixed the younger woman with a stern gaze. "Do you think Ichigo's not aware of the stakes at play here when he confessed? Be sensible- you must know that he wouldn't just jeopardize what you two have on a whim. He wouldn't have started this whole thing- this bet if he wasn't prepared for things to last." 

Rukia was rendered speechless. 

"Have some faith," said the older woman and she could see the others nodding in agreement. Momo laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder and Rukia felt something warm and foreign blossoming within her. This was nice- not being judged or gossiped about, not having to push people away, coming clean, having people listen to her; it all just flooded her veins with such a rush of warmth and emotions. 

Something wet pricked at her eyes. 

"B-But what if he leaves me anyway? What if he pulls a Kaien on me? What if it turns out we're better off as friends after all?" 

"And what if he stays? You know him best," countered Yoruichi, "does he make a habit of leading people on, breaking hearts because he can? Does that sound like Ichigo to you?" 

Rukia gnawed at her bottom lip. Yoruichi was right- Ichigo didn't make a habit of being cruel and whose heart was he going to break anyway? Most girls wouldn't even come within ten feet of the grumpy doctor and his scowling demeanour was hardly going to earn him a hoard of squealing fangirls. 

"Besides, did you think Byakubo was going to just sit by idly if Ichigo breaks your heart?" continued Yoruichi as she cracked her knuckles, "That boy's going to be in a world of pain and after your brother's done with him he's got **us** to answer to." 

The others agreed unanimously with Yoruichi. 

"You just say the word, Rukia-chan," said Yachiru as she flashed her colleague an impish grin, "I'll send Ken-chan over for a word and I guarantee your Ichi won't even _dare_ look at another woman." 

Rukia laughed at that. 

"Don't think too much about it," said gentle Isane as she cast her maternal gaze to her, "He doesn't sound like the type to break your heart." A warm hand grasped hers and Rukia's heart is warmed by the former's soothing voice, "Everything's going to be alright." 

"Nee-san's right," added Kiyone, "You're overthinking things. It sounds to me like you're head over heels in love with Ichigo and this dilemma is just stupid. Take the leap. You know he's important in your life and you find him sexy enough to want to make babies with him and more importantly he feels the same way about you?!" 

"Rukia, are you trying to make the rest of us jealous, girl? What are you still doing here?" Momo joked as she dragged the heiress to her feet, and Isane wordlessly handing the woman's clutch over. Between the two of them, they managed to get the surprised woman up on her feet and walking towards the exit. 

As Momo shut the door to the taxi that they hailed for her, the brunette told Rukia playfully, "Now go and get your man." 

. 

The parting scene of a smiling Momo and the tall Isane gradually disappeared from view and Rukia heaved a sigh of relief as the taxi weaved through the largely empty road. 

The heavy weight that had been sitting on her heart was now gone and she felt like a different person. Whatever came after this, she thought to herself, she can face it. She's ready to accept her feelings and take the first step, ready to believe and ready to try. 

She might not be enough for Kaien, for the world but Ichigo seemed to think that she is enough for him. And maybe-maybe that was really all that mattered at the end of the day. 

Home, she realized with a start and a heart suddenly brimming with a gush of hopelessly rose-tinted longing, a true sense of belonging that she had been denying. 

She was going home to Ichigo. 

Ready to give whatever this is a try if he would still have her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were so many ways this chapter could have gone. Ideas I have toyed with include killing someone off, roping Isshin and the twins in, throwing Tatsuki and Orihime into the mix, and I was even tempted to end it here at some point but I want closure for my babies so there will be a few more chapters to follow this.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think.


	16. Say Something

_~Ichigo~_

* * *

Water rivulets pelted down Ichigo's bare back as he stood under the shower. He stuck his head under- letting the roaring water drown out the sound of his heavy thoughts while he processed the events that had transpired earlier.

Steam rose- fogging up the mirrors while he released a deep sigh, letting the warm water soak through his tired body. Clenching his fist in frustration, he rested his head against the cool bathroom tiles. 

His body felt feverish. 

Water could not cleanse the feel of Rukia's touch under his skin, nor could it erase the taste of fresh peaches lingering about his palate. His body still bore the imprint of her lips on his, still felt the warm press of her body as he held her and remembered the keening mewl that nearly sent him over the edge. 

Ichigo shivered as his mind hazed- imagining the sound of her breathless sighs and fervour mantra of his name on those lips as he carefully peeled away the layers of clothes between them, the look in her eyes as she released her inhibitions, the staggered scream that echoes through the room as her body arched and flexed under his ministrations. 

He could do that, he realized- would love nothing more than to give himself over to worship Rukia at her feet, not at all saintly and puritan but dark, feral and utterly devout- a true worshipper of heathen goddesses who demanded their dues to be paid in red and gold, who saw no shame in the pursuit of earthly passion and knew pain as intimately as they breathed pleasure. 

A true believer would lay himself prostrate before her altar and declare himself unworthy. Ichigo would blasphemously induct himself her head priest and dedicate his being into her worship in the bedroom. 

The Rukia in his fantasies is always naked and shamelessly indulgent to his whims. 

If he shut his eyes now he could see her- lying on her back with him draped over her. Her black hair fanned about her, her arms coiled around him, her whole body so enticingly close and sensitive to his touch while her fingers fisted at his hair- 

Ichigo could see the golden sun making a kaleidoscopic rainfall of light on her supple body while he parted her legs and settled himself between her thighs. Her face was flushed adorably while her dark eyes- heavy-lidded and wordless in their challenge, blinked at him- a lazy come-hither look that sent a warm rush of blood southwards. Underneath him, she was a handful of warm skin and soft curves, tits- the perfect mouthful- coy smile and a hungry look mirroring his as she tilted her head and stared up towards him. 

The cock in his hand twitched. 

. 

He gripped the curve of her waist and kept his feverish gaze upon hers while he thrusted into her. A choked groan left him when he could feel himself inside her, his length stretching her, filling her- deeper and faster with every subsequent thrust. She's tight and her dripping sex gripped his length within a velvet coated vice. 

Still trapped in his fantasies, his eyes were glassy as he absentmindedly wrapped his hand around his pulsating member and stroked himself, trying in vain to mimic the pleasure he sought in his lewd daydreams. 

The Rukia in his vision is unrepentantly vocal. She moaned as she left trails of angry claw marks down his back. Between the two of them, they readily formed a rhythm- one where his mouth alternated from teasing her hardened nipples and trailing open-mouthed kisses down her throat, experimentally nipping and watching with perverse amusement as her pouty lips valiantly tried but ultimately failing to form coherent words while he continued pounding into her. 

With every slide of his cock into her pussy, he could feel his self-control fraying and he gasped from the tight squeeze of her walls on his member. 

. 

Knotted muscles rippled, a hand on the shower tile bracing himself against the cool wall, breathless moan as he imagined her in there with him. Rhythmically coaxing him, she met him thrust for thrust. Her dark eyes zeroed in on his, her cute little tits bouncing in time to their rhythm- 

* * *

_Ichigo!_

* * *

The urgency in her tone spurred him on as he lost himself to his inhibitions.

He panted, wincing as the bright bathroom lights came back into focus. The sweat clinging to his body was condensed by the humidity of his surroundings. Feeling the slick cum over his hand, he grimaced as he forced himself to step back into the showers. 

His high was over as abruptly as it began. 

. 

Glaring at his plastic-wrapped hand still out of commission, Ichigo couldn't help but frown. Even though he regretted nothing and especially not at the confrontation with the baseball-waving son of a bitch, he had to admit that he appreciated the use of both hands. Right now he couldn't even fap in peace without suffering from some form of discomfort. 

He's running out of time. 

The frustration building up within was enough to make him want to go punch a wall. He was beginning to feel the doubt on whether he could actually win the bet. No matter what he did, Rukia's presence lingered within him- thoughts of her, of them together- how she had fitted so perfectly within his embrace, how eagerly her body had responded to his touches. 

The intensity of his feelings had only grown since he first proposed the stupid game. 

But to Rukia, he wasn't sure if any of it meant anything to her at all. 

Rukia keeps him on his toes and keeps him guessing. It's a trait he appreciates but there were also times when it drives him downright insane. It goes without saying that this is one of those exasperating times. 

Just when he thought he was going somewhere, that he finally had her all figured out, that they were making progress, she pushes right back and they fall back to where they were two months ago. 

The same sort of awkward and angry confrontation, the same sort of tense silence and tear-filled disavowal, except this time it was infinitely worse because Ichigo was in _way_ deeper than he was months ago and that raised the stakes significantly higher. 

When he first came up with the idea, in true and typical Ichigo-fashion, he never truly considered what would happen if things didn't go according to his plans. He was the sort to shoot first and ask questions later, and maybe what Four-eyes said was true- with Rukia, he had a tendency of taking things for granted. 

But that wasn't even the worse part- the worst part was his absolute pig-headedness to admit defeat and when he felt threatened, he began to double down on his efforts to win her over only to forget that Rukia didn't do well with his forwardness at times and he ran the risk of pushing her too far- pushing her away in fact if he got too impatient. 

It had hurt too much to go after her when she left the house. 

But what was pride compared to the absence of Rukia in his life? 

Things between them shouldn't end like this. 

He refused to let it just end this way. They both meant too much to each other to have things end like this. 

Still wrapped up in his thought, Ichigo exited the bathroom hastily. He had to find her and fix this. His mind was running fervently, thinking of places where his midget could have escaped to, a list of contacts that she would seek solace from. 

He was a bit hurt when the thought that whoever she was running to wasn't him hit him but he pushed those thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to feel sorry for himself- 

Should he try Byakuya or maybe Renji is a better candidate? 

He doubted that Rukia would run to her beloved Nii-sama over some petty boy problems but the thought of contacting Renji to ask the latter about Rukia felt like a stab in his pride. Was he not her person? 

Maybe she would go to her new friend- Momo something? 

. 

. 

Predictably, as he exited the bathroom, she entered the house. 

Time stood still. 

Ichigo's breath caught as he half-turned to face her. Him, fresh out the showers with his damp hair, terry cloth hanging around his neck, bare-chested and low-riding jeans snug on his waist, and her in her one-shoulder red sheath dress that had a slit running dangerously high on the side, cheeks stained red and her mascara smudged. 

Had she been crying? 

The look of surprise etched on her face told him everything- she didn't expect him to still be there. 

His hands clenched and gritted his teeth. Did she really want him gone that badly? 

The need to sweep her into his arms and realize his deepest darkest desires was all encompassing. His nerve endings were still raw and just looking at her was enough to cause his control to waver. 

No, he was an idiot but he learned from his mistakes- he pushed her too hard earlier so he needed to tone it down. He resisted the urge to ask her where she was going when she left for the night- he didn't want her to think he was controlling but seeing her in that tight red dress brought out some animalistic need within him. 

She had on some dangerous stilettos- fuck me shoes, his dirty mind whispered. They put her somewhere closer to his height. Not quite meeting his chin yet but she was close and if she were to wrap her legs around him, their nose would touch and Kami-sama the things he could do to her. 

It was just unfair to be greeted in such a sight when he just came out from the showers. 

He was the first to look away, running a hand through his still wet hair and she released a breath she had been unwittingly holding. 

"Been out drinking I see." 

Ichigo had started off with an ice-breaker using what he hoped was a neutral tone but seeing how Rukia had flinched at the sound made him realize just how far he had fallen off the mark. Yet, he couldn't help his angry tone. He was just too frustrated at everything- but mostly at himself. 

He sighed, sparing her a final glance before leaving for his room. He needed to put some distance between them before he ended up doing something he regretted. 

She looked embarrassed at the comment, playing nervously with her hair as she hesitated at the threshold of the door. 

"We need to talk." 

His body stiffened. Her words stopped him mid-stride, forcing him to meet her gaze squarely while his heart stopped. Ichigo wondered briefly if she could hear the sound of his heart splintering to a million pieces in the intermission that followed and did it give her pleasure to torment him like this? 

Here it comes, she's about to go on a spiel about why she can't be with him and he gritted his teeth hard. He can't do this right now- not when she's there standing in that pretty little dress and killing him with her cruel nonchalance. 

He's torn between the urge to grab her by the shoulders and just kiss her until they're both breathless and delirious- they both want this, she just wouldn't admit it and it was driving him nuts- or maybe he should just open her brain and see what was going on inside of her. 

"I don't want to talk right now." 

She needed to stop before they both did something they'll regret later. 

Rukia walked towards him. He's hit with the scent of her perfume and he thought not for the first time that falling in love with his midget was quite possibly the worst punishment he would endure. He looked down into her unfathomable pools of blue. She honestly did not know the effect she has on him. 

His jaw clenched. 

Well two can play at that game. Sometimes he forgets that by being each other's person, they also leave themselves vulnerable to attacks of the worst kind and when pushed into a corner, Ichigo lashed out. 

"Ok then let's talk," he growled, "Was I just a replacement for Kaien?" 

Her eyes widened, inevitably taking a step back. And the vindication that he was supposed to feel from hurting her never came. Instead the hurt in her eyes scarred him and he felt guilty the second he opened his mouth and posed the question. 

"H-H-How did you know about Kaien?" 

Rukia's blood turned to ice. She felt faint for a minute. How could he? 

After all that they have been through, he should know better than to pry into her business- about Kaien no less, the one thing she had never felt comfortable talking about- before she was ready to tell him. 

Damage control- he realized he needed to stop this conversation from spiraling out of control. Damn him and his mouth. 

"I'm sorry-" he reached out to her, the words tumbling out from his mouth in a flurry- "I didn't mean it. It's fine. We don't need to talk about him. I'm sor-" 

The look on her face could only be described as feral as she slapped his hands away. 

"Don't touch me!" she had all but screeched when he tried to take another step towards her. "Who told you about Kaien?" 

Her voice was cold and carefully controlled but the icy look she shot him was telling. When Rukia got mad, the heiress reverted to an emotionless paragon of aloofness. Like if she tried hard enough she could switch off her emotions and it wouldn't hurt. The immensely private person that she was- she will likely never forgive him for breaching her trust and the subject revolving around her ill-fated engagement and her ex-fiancé was the worst thing he could have possibly brought up in an already tense situation between them. 

He bit his tongue. "It doesn't mat-" 

"That's for me to decide," She snapped, "It's for me to decide if this is important or if this matters. Just like how it's my story to tell. I get to decide when and who I tell my past to. So who told you about Kaien?" 

Ichigo winced at her sharp tone. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her pain but it seemed like bringing her pain was the only thing he thrived at. 

"Byakuya was only trying to help," he offered quietly. 

She scoffed and for a second, disbelief coated her features before she carefully tucked it away and the infamous Kuchiki icy cold façade came back. 

"Nii-sama had no right," she growled, "I'm sick of people deciding what's right for me. First the Kuchiki elders for putting that stupid engagement in place, then Kaien, when he decided to break off that engagement- twice, and now Nii-sama too?" 

"I should have a say on who gets to know that story. I'm the one who got rejected; I'm the one who got caught in the public disgrace, so why shouldn't I get to control the outcome? On who gets to know my story?" 

Her eyes stung as her voice cracked. "What's wrong with me making my own decisions?" 

Hot tears trailed down her cheeks as she angrily swiped them away with the back of her palm. Her voice choked and Ichigo had never felt a stronger urge to bring her into his arms and hide her away from the world. His Rukia didn't deserve this and he should never have said what he said. 

"Rukia," he said, inching his way towards her carefully until he was standing in front of her, "I'm so sorry. If I could take everything back, trust me I would." 

He crouched down until he was at her eye-level and was uncharacteristically gentle as he kissed her tears away. She was cold, so unbearably cold he thought as he tugged her closer into his arms and when it became apparent that she wasn't going to hit him or slap him away, cradled her head against his chest and simply held her as she cried. 

"I'm sorry," he told her, again and again; genuinely and sincerely until her sobs quietened down and they were both seated on the hard wooden flooring in the living room. There was no image to be upheld, the world didn't see Dr. Kurosaki- the brash, fourth year resident who was the nightmare of his underlings, nor did they see Lady Kuchiki- the aloof heiress who made a living as a columnist and writer much to the disapproval of her family elders. 

The world was infinitely simple then and there was only Ichigo and Rukia- two best friends teetering on the edge of becoming something more or nothing at all with the next few seconds that passed. 

Rukia sighed- the sound that broke the sombre impasse and empty spaces between them. Still cradled against his chest, she huffed and told him, "I'm not mad at you, Ichigo." 

Hope it seemed does spring eternal. 

Ichigo made a non-committal grunt, content to just hold onto her and let her talk- afraid that saying anything would be the equivalent of shattering whatever peace they had just achieved. 

"Well, not really, anyway," she mused, her tone bordering on sheepish as she continued, "I was more like embarrassed and caught off-guard. Kaien," she paused, something akin to nostalgia seeped into her voice; "talking about him. It's painful. When he broke off our engagement, I was turned into a social pariah and things got so bad that Nii-sama had to send me away to the States. And I was so terribly lonely and scared." 

He said nothing and merely rested his chin on the top of her head, tightening his grip. "Talking about him makes me think of all the bad things that happened to me then. I got a bit emotional and just embarrassed when I- I guess what I'm trying to say is-" she cleared her throat and eased herself away from his embrace to meet his eyes- "I don't want you to think less of me." 

Ichigo frowned. "There's literally nothing in this world that would ever make me think any less of you." 

"Not even as a woman who was rejected twice by the same man?" 

He scoffed, easing himself into a better position. "You do know that we live in the 21st century now and not some archaic patriarchal bullshit Stone Age right? Seriously you need to give me the names of those idiot elders and I swear I'll find a way to fuck them up for you." 

She giggled. 

They sat cross-legged, face to face and knees touching. "I keep forgetting that breaking off engagements doesn't exactly hold the same negative connotation in your circle as it does in mine." 

A roguish grin formed, "All the more reason for you to be a Kurosaki instead. We plebians take stupid shit like this much less seriously." 

Rukia rolled her eyes good-naturedly but scooted closer towards him. He moved over to his right as she gingerly made her way next to him and sat down, resting her head against his shoulder. 

"Yes, but I think I still owe you an explanation." 

Ichigo hummed. The room was dark and the only source of light came from the dim bathroom lighting when he reached for her hand and squeezed. 

"You can tell me your story when you are ready and whenever you want to but you don't owe me anything, Rukia," he told her, "I play for keeps and I'm not Kaien." 

He pursed his lips, frowning in thought. "Your past has shaped you and moulded you into the prickly, sarcastic, strong and beautiful woman that I know you are today. It matters in that respect but -" he brought their linked hands to eye-level and pressed a kiss onto the back of her palm. 

"I want a future with you. Your past shouldn't come in between that." 

She had never thought herself deserving of sympathy or pity, never thought of herself as soft or as one of the fairy-tale princesses who needed a knight in shining armour to sweep her off her feet because she was strong, independent and didn't need a man to do the saving. Not when she had clawed her way out of her misery, built herself up from the emotional wreck she was in high school and re-emerged into the Society as a self-made authoress with an enviable job and friends who love her for being her. 

But at this very moment, Rukia Kuchiki was a woman who felt loved and cherished. She was wanted and she was enough. Her heart was impossibly full and when she met his heartfelt gaze in the midst of his confession, the ice in her thawed and she melted. 

* * *

_He's not Kaien._

_He's not Kaien._

_He's not Kaien._

* * *

How was it that it had taken her this long to realize the truth- _He's not Kaien_ \- he won't worm his way into her heart and leave it in pieces when he's done, won't leave her without saying goodbye.

He won't because… _he loves her_. 

"You're right," she told him, "but I need to set the record straight. You were never anyone's replacement." 

She pressed a hand against his cheek. "You are far too important for me to ever let you think of yourself as Kaien or anyone else's replacement. You and Kaien- you may look alike but inside, you are both very different people. I practically grew up with Kaien-" she drew lazy circles across warm skin as he leaned into her touch- "Yet believe me when I say I don't think I ever truly knew him at all." 

"I have never in my life seen you as anyone but Ichigo Kurosaki," she said, "You and Kaien are nothing alike and I will tell you exactly why." 

"First time we met was in English Lit. You sat three seats in front of me and I was so surprised- thought to myself for a second there that somehow Kaien came back so I stopped then and there- right next to you as I was walking past. The whole class noticed how I stopped talking mid-sentence but you didn't even care," she snorted, "you had your nose buried in Midsummer Night's Dream and that's when I knew you weren't him." 

She laughed at the memory but the smile turned bittersweet as she continued. 

"Kaien was a jock. It was almost a miracle that he managed to pass English. There was no way he was ever going to read Shakespeare. Then for the rest of the semester you out-nerded the nerds- the extra-credit works, the late-night study sessions and all those English papers in high 90s," she whistled, "if it weren't because of your busy schedule what with being a medical student and all, Professor Kyoraku told me that he would have picked you as his TA instead." 

The heiress grabbed hold of his unblemished arm. 

"Kaien has a tattoo of the Shiba family crest on his arm- got it on his 16th birthday. It's tradition- Shiba heirs are tattooed with the family crest on their coming-of-age and no matter how much Kaien hated the elders, that tattoo was his pride. He would rather die than have it removed." 

Her hands trembled as he laid a chaste kiss on her forehead, his good arm tugging her closer until she was now seated on his lap, his arms wrapped around her- warm, safe and cared for. 

"And Kaien was always so cheerful and gregarious. Always smiling, always charming- he could strike up conversations with anyone and form friendships with some stranger across the road easily. He had his crowd of fangirls, his crowd of popular kids who trailed after him and he basked in their attention. He likes being in charge and likes being admired- likes to have things revolve around him." 

"You're like some goddamn onion with all your heavy layers- always so mean and downright hostile to new faces. Do you have any idea how long it took for you to warm up to the idea of me being around you? You have a big heart and you are a doctor- an amazing one who will go that extra mile for all his patients- I get it; but you scare away three prospective dates on a good day with your scowl and your fangirls," she sighed dramatically, poking him playfully in the cheek, "I don't know if I should admire their courage and congratulate them on their boldness or pity them for being taken in by a pretty face." 

Ichigo folded his arms, defensively pouting. "What's that supposed to mean, Kuchiki? I will have you know that my fangirls have good taste- this pretty face has got the brains to go with it." 

Rukia couldn't help it. She burst out laughing, seeing the exaggerated pout he put on. 

"Sure Kurosaki. All brains and brawns and no emotional tact whatsoever," she teased, "Have you seen yourself flirting? Because I have and let me tell you it's downright painful. You were so stiff- acting like you had a gun pointed at you the whole time and the poor girl was so confused at where the conversation was heading. You wouldn't even smile! I have better luck teaching a pig to do maths than to teach you how to smile-" he scowled at that and she smirked- "See what I mean." 

"You've got no game at all, Kurosaki," she declared whimsically. 

Ichigo smirked, leaning back as he regarded her with a sly smile, "well I'll say this much. For a guy with no game, I seemed to have gotten you quite hot and bothered in the past." 

She scoffed, rolling her eyes for good measure, "in your dreams, you dork." 

" _Oh really_?" 

This was a challenge he readily accepted. 

His head dipped low, so much so that their lips were almost touching and smirked. The full brunt of his stare fell upon her- heavy with his unspoken desire, heady with just a touch of mischief. As he exhaled, warm puffs of air hit her already burning cheek. And as his lips brushed against the shell of her ear, her breath hitched and he was rewarded with the sharp staccato of her beating heart. 

He chuckled. "Feeling alright there, Rukia?" 

The woman in his arms stiffened. He was so warm, his voice was just the right touch of dark and sultry to make her squirm and she loathed to let him have the upper hand, especially in a compromising position like this. 

"Just peachy," she spat through gritted teeth. 

The smirk on his face only widened. 

His hand idly travelled up the length of her leg, fingers brushing against her naked skin- first through the open split on her dress, then across the side of dress, drifting higher until the pad of his thumb was tracing random geometric patterns against the delicate skin on her collar bone. His warmth radiated through the soft-spun satin, and with each press of his fingertips against her skin, thus formed a trail of goose bumps and burning want. 

His lips made soft imprints against her unmarked throat, but they didn't linger- leaving her unsatisfied and irritated. Holding back her whine of frustration, she instead shot him a glare that would have maimed a weaker man, and growled, keeping her voice as level as possible, "s-stop it." 

"But I thought you were fine with _this_ ," he smirked, emphasizing his point by brushing the tip of his nose against her neck, making her shiver, "you seem perfectly _fine_. You are right after all- I wouldn't know the first thing about flirting and seducing pretty girls." 

His fingers had brushed against one of her ticklish spots and she became a helpless, mewling mess. This time she couldn't hold the breathless noises no matter how hard she tried. It was humiliating to say the least especially when she could feel the curve of his smile against her feverish skin. 

Hearing his hearty chuckle just made her want all the more to slap the grin off him and his stupid face. 

"I-I-I stand by what I said," she growled, "you're an ass and you _suck_ at this. You're just lucky you happen to have a pretty face. If someone uglier tried it I would have slapped him and sued him for sexual harassment." 

"Now, now, Rukia," he cooed mockingly, "there's no need to be testy. You're gonna hurt my feelings-" she frowned at the grin he flashed her- "Just admit it. Game or no game- I can still get under your skin. Wonder what that says about you." 

Her cheeks were burning and a sharp retort was forming at the tip of tongue but she resisted the temptation. She knew how and when to pick her battles. 

She would begrudgingly let him have this round. 

Bristling and shrugging herself off his hold, she sniffed haughtily. 

"You've made your point, you jerk," she folded her arms, "Now stop interrupting me and let me finish my story." 

Still smirking, Ichigo made a point to lean away from her and said to her, "the stage is yours." 

"As I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted," the heiress cleared her throat, "Kaien is loud and boisterous- life of the party and when he enters a room, he becomes the centre of attention and you would love him more because of that." 

"Sounds like a typical self-absorbed bastard to me." 

She silenced him with a sharp look and he mumbled sorry, miming the act of zipping his lips shut and throwing away the key before he gestured at her to continue. 

"But that's just it. Kaien isn't a typical meathead- he's the good guy. He's the guy who volunteered at soup kitchens, held donation drives for homeless people and he once beat up a pervert that he saw put something in a girl's drink," she sighed, "I can't hate him and I look up to him too much. I was so grateful just to have been able to tag along. Thought he was just so cool and he makes everything look so easy." 

"A night out with Kaien meant parties and crazies- adventures you would never dream of. We once ended up watching sunrise in Hawaii on a fishing boat we bartered for his Rolex watch. Every time we went for a party, a club or charity gala he would promise Nii-sama he would make sure we got back much earlier the next time." 

"Needless to say," she chuckled, "he never kept his promises." 

"You on the other hand," she mused, "wouldn't even step foot into a room if you knew there was going to be more than five strangers in there. You go out of your way to avoid people. I remembered how Keigo had to nag and pester you to go to a nightclub with us and you hated every minute of it. Not that I blame you," she paused, recalling the incident vividly. 

"You kept complaining about the noise and the strobe lights and then Keigo got all shitfaced and vomited all over your shoes. I don't think I have ever seen you so mad and had to forcibly drag you out before you murdered him in front of all those people. My first night out with you," she breathed, "was a failed attempt at clubbing and then sipping hot cocoa and watching the Godfather till we both fell asleep on the couch." 

The doctor winced. "I sound like a real bore. Why did you even stick around?" 

She shrugged. 

"Maybe because I never really did like going to parties anyway. Maybe all I wanted to do was to put on comfy PJs, and fall asleep watching old gangster movies. And Ran stopped badgering me to go out once I started hanging out with you." 

. 

Rukia tried to peek at his expression but he had his head down and was strangely quiet. 

"I would never see you as Kaien." 

"Kaien," she pursed her lips, "broke my heart and made me who I am now. But you're the best friend I never thought I'd have. You're my first friend after Kaien and you helped me find myself again. You're my person." 

The look in her eyes was humbling- so bright and he felt undeserving of her trust. He growled, "I'll kill him." 

She sighed; smaller hands grasped his clenched fist and gently pried it open. "He's not worth it." 

Rukia slipped her hand into his and burrowed herself deeper into his embrace. 

"Did you love him?" 

She winced. Ichigo- ever so direct in his methods but she would never lie to him. 

"I did." 

Kaien was her first love- practically a part of her childhood. Her fondest memories growing up were of two inseparable playmates who roamed the halls of Kuchiki Manor carelessly and wreaked havoc in the green forestry that dotted the Shiba Estate. That was her past and that would never change. 

Ichigo stiffened. He had expected the answer, hearing her admit it out loud though still made him flinch. He made a sound at the back of his throat. 

"That night when you went into the room with him- why did you? You knew he wanted to break off the engagement, so why did you still hold on for so long? He even left a note." 

"Because I am a fool," she said, and then quieter, "I am proud and maybe just desperate enough- part of me was still holding on to a hope that he'll come back some day. But- but I think I'm finally ready to let it go." 

She gulped. Her midnight blues sought out his, their bodies unbearably close to each other as she leaned in towards him. 

"I think-" her voice was scarcely louder than a whisper but the words were deafening to him- 

* * *

_"I think that I love you."_

* * *

This was the bridge-burning, line-crossing that she balked against since the beginning. Yet in the very moment the gravity of it all seemed lost to her, something in his eyes emboldened her; made her believe that things would be alright, that if she fell- headfirst and without a parachute, he would still be there to catch her.

Tentatively she tilted her face upwards to graze against his lips just so, before she kissed him. 

The hungry and needy ache of his was barely alleviated by the closeness of their bodies as he pressed forward. His palm rested on the back of her head, fingers threading through her soft hair while he breathed her in; willing her presence to sink within him, to make a home with his weary bones and let his soul anchor hers. He kissed her- deeply, hungrily, passionately; as if he were a dying man and her lips held a secret to eternal life- smeared in sin and wine- known only to her most intimate followers and of that, he most certainly was. 

She responded to his eager kisses with a fire of her own. Where his fingers had touched and skimmed and held, there marked a branded seal- of longing, of misery, of passion and immortal reckoning. It seared through clothing, skin, bones; and made its indents on her heart. 

This man was now a part of her. No matter what happens between now and till the next Sun that dawns- the world could stop spinning and entire civilizations may collapse but she will forever remember this encounter. 

She will forever taste the salt of his skin, the damp hair she threaded her fingers through as she allowed herself to fall, the way his lips moved against hers, the feel of his warmth as naked skin pressed against one another, the tremor she felt in his fingers as they mapped her skin- awe-filled and hesitant as though he was mapping the atlas of the universe. 

When the need to breathe become too much, he chose to leave a trail of kisses down the column of her throat, trailing lower at her collar bone and then tugging the front of her dress lower, bunching the dress roughly and not minding the tear at all when it ripped, just so he could place more of his open-mouth kisses and sing her praises of worship from between the valley of her breasts. 

Satin caught on her straining nipples as the front of the dress pooled, making her hiss. 

Their eyes met. 

The dusky pink of her areolas, the hardened tips of her nipples, her bare breasts just the perfect mouthful- his fantasies from earlier did not prepare him for the sight. 

His mouth went dry as he felt himself hardening. 

"Fuck," he cursed as he regarded her with a strange look- a cross between stunned and utter exultation, "you're not wearing a bra." 

Rukia opened her mouth, embarrassed and ready to retort. She wanted to cover herself, to tell him wipe that look of his face, to stop making a big deal out of it, because it wasn't for him. She didn't plan this for crying out loud! It was because the dress- gorgeous as it was, didn't allow her to w- 

Ichigo closed his lips around one of her breasts and she was made to swallow her words, choking on her reply instead. 

She arched- spreading her legs open, body flexing, fisted his hair as he suckled. A warm hand palmed her right while he greedily latched on her left nipple- alternately kneading and sucking, licking and nipping; repeating the actions until the nipples pebbled and turned taut. Her body shook and shuddered, breathing ragged and desperate as what started as whine of frustrations turned into sharp tugs at his hair. 

He groaned at the feel of her small hands curling around him, holding onto him as though he was in danger of disappearing. The hand he had placed on her tender breast gradually trailed lower until they came to the end of her dress, hiking the material up until his fingers were making raw marks onto the cheeks of her butt. 

She hissed at the pain, clawing at him to show her displeasure. 

He mouthed his apology against her skin, placing kisses on the patch of skin above her heart before his hands dipped low and began palming the soft flesh of her bottom. He grunted- the pain on his back barely seemed to faze him as he gripped her bottom hard enough to leave bruises on them for the days to come. He squeezed- experimentally at first, then bolder in his approach until he was kneading the flesh and timing each grip against the swipe of his tongue against her sensitive peaks. 

Her legs parted, wrapping themselves around his waist as she raised herself taller, setting herself upon his lap. She was aching, burning and dying all at once. She wanted him to touch her but couldn't seem to form the necessary words in her brain. 

Thoughts, words- everything was fleeting but the need for him burnt through her haze. 

* * *

_More._

* * *

She needed more of him- more of his warmth, his touches, his kisses. Just him. She needed to be closer to him.

As she canted her hips against his, she nuzzled against his muscled chest- a keening cry as she whined for his attention and mercy. She was lost in a sea of mindless haze- sustained only by touches and kisses. The only thing that seemed to make sense any more was him and he wasn't nearly close enough. 

* * *

_Ahhh._

* * *

The _delicious_ friction of her cotton-covered core against his denim jeans- she shut her eyes, it helped but was not nearly enough. The bulge in his pants- her fingers ghosted over it, fumbling to reach the fly of his zipper. He jerked at the sensation, unexpectedly ending the kiss.

His eyes fluttered open, revealing eyes cast in that evanescent shade of liquid gold, something dark but craven in its intensity- as though he too was lost in his need for her and begging, an utter surrendering of his heart and soul should she find her voice in time to demand it. 

He gave a deep groan, as her hands occupied themselves with the task of stroking him through the heavy material. His pink lips that puckered, a mouth shaped in that perfect look of surprise- thin trail of saliva connecting his open mouth to hers. His eyes had a soft, almost desperate shine to them as he bucked his hips against her hand- utterly helpless in his eagerness and voiceless in his demand of hers to take him- into her hands, into her pretty little mouth, or maybe even deeper if she wanted; bare-back or missionary, whatever position she wanted to have him laid onto. 

The sight alone- him under her, pliant and on the verge of begging- was enough to make her cum on principle alone but the control that he was surrendering to her, the trust he placed in handing the reins over to her- it hit her hard. 

She reluctantly pulled away from him. 

* * *

_"W-Wait."_

* * *

The man below her had wet hair plastered against his forehead, the look in his eyes molten as he groaned at the interruption. His lips were bruised to such an inviting shade of red and his heaving chest shuddered as she gripped the sides of his arm.

Her mouth went dry and she had to remind herself to pointedly look away from his bare chest and breathe. 

He looked at her- annoyed, impatient- colour rose to his cheeks as he drew himself into sitting upright and fixed her a blank stare- his own silent demand of an explanation. 

"I've never done this before," she admitted. 

He sighed. Knowing that she hadn't stopped him because she regretted the make-out session lifted a great weight off his chest. Hesitance and shyness was much easier to coax out of her. 

"To having sex, to having sex with me, or topping?" 

Rukia pointedly looked away. Her virginity shouldn't be an issue here, just because she had never allowed herself to be vulnerable in front of another person and indulged (much) in her physical need for pleasure didn't mean she was a complete prude. 

She still knew how sex works and was comfortable with touching herself. If reading Kama Sutra could grant her intimate knowledge on the subject she would gladly do so but that was beside the point. 

She told herself that it was just like any other physical skill- she could learn it through repetition and with enough practice- she blushed- might even turn out to be great at it- so why was she so embarrassed to admit her inexperience? Was she afraid that Ichigo would tease her? 

* * *

_Would he tease her?_

* * *

She bit down her lip. "All of the above."

Right, he mused to himself. That was understandable. What he was about to say though he realized might shock her. 

He breathed in deeply and asked, "And you think I have?" 

* * *

_Wait- what?_

* * *

"Are you saying that you haven't?"

It was her turn to gape. She spluttered, gesturing towards him and his face, "B-But you- you look like _this_!" 

She watched as colours blossomed and dotted his cheeks. Under her gaze, her lover made a show of clearing his throat loudly. 

"And you're Rukia Kuchiki. Your point being?" 

Rukia didn't know what to make of it. Her eyebrows were furrowed deep and disbelief coated her voice as she whispered, "You don't have to lie about it to make me feel better. I mean-" 

He panicked, pulling her back into his arms and tucked his chin on top of her head, determinedly keeping her pressed against his front. God knows what her insecure and colourful mind would come up with if she started thinking like that. 

"Let me tell you something-" he whispered, his voice husky and deep as he willed her and her alone to absorb the full brunt of his secret- "let's just say on top of being an anti-social party pooper who skipped a few grades in school and also loves watching old gangster movies I'm also valedictorian, a closet Shakespeare enthusiast and your best friend. Does that sound like someone who has a lot of time and social life to be dicking anyone down? 

He kissed the top of her head. 

"Even if I happen to look like _this_ ," he teased. 

Ichigo supposed having teenage sisters when growing up was a help. Yuzu was always gushing about some K-drama male actor and debating with Karin about whether such a man would exist in real life. Their "discussions" meant drama marathons on the family TV and though Karin criticized the fuck out of the shows, insisted on how unrealistic it would have been in real life, she never missed a single one of the viewings and naturally he wasn't allowed to change the channel while the girls fangirled, so he would begrudgingly watch too. 

Part of him would forever be flattered to think that Rukia had such _fanciful_ expectations of his prowess and the other part would forever be grateful to his mother for all the good genes he received. The old goat-chin (a.k.a. his sperm donor) was a lost cause and contributed next to nothing of importance. 

Rukia squirmed against his hold, breaking away from it completely until she sat at eye level with him. 

"But what with that stupid bet and I mean- you sound so confident like you actually know what you're doing." 

"I was bluffing," he admitted sheepishly. "And I was trying my best to prove a point. Of course I wasn't going to back down from it. Knowing what was at stake here I would be damned if I didn't give it my 200%. You're worth every bit of it." 

Something in his soft brown eyes told her that he didn't care about the perfect Kuchiki heiress, or the world-renowned authoress he only ever cared about her- bossy, proud, annoying, prickly- she was all of it and more but he still calls her beautiful, sees her strength and calls her out on her bullshit (most of the time), and maybe that was something she should have noticed a long time ago. 

There was something in her eye, she thought belatedly as he reached for her and she gave in, simply allowing herself to be held, and loved, and cooed to as he whispered to her. 

"Hey it's okay-" he pressed kisses to her temple and she believed him- "We'll take things slow. Learn from each other and everything will be alright." 

"You've got me." 

Cocooned deep within his arms, she let her defence down- peeling away her deep layers of insecurities, false confidence and the icy facade of indifference; and simply allowed herself to breathe. 

For the first time since Kaien, Rukia- the girl who was left behind, the child bride, the unhappy fiancée, the teenager barely growing into her own person; can be at peace with the woman she is now. 

Tomorrow, the Sun will still shine and the Earth will continue to rotate on its axis. People will still go out poking their noses into other people's businesses and quite possibly nothing will even change but she was ready to move on to the next chapter of her life with Ichigo. 

Stay, she whispered. The room was dark and her voice, soft and barely audible as he cloistered her away from the rest of the world. 

He linked their hands. 

_I'm right here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This lovely chapter is dedicated to naomimevil on Tumblr. Her IR art work is AMAZE-BALLS and the recent one involving a shirtless Ichigo and a Rukia dressed in red is the muse for this chapter so thank her please.


	17. Suddenly I See

_~Rukia~_

* * *

Waking up next to Ichigo was nothing new.

They've been platonic bed mates since the night he first introduced her to _Don Corleone_ and the cinematic masterpiece about the iconic Sicilian Mafioso. They hadn't been that close then- though to be fair between his tendency to scowl first, make friends later and her trademark Kuchiki ice mask, it's safe to say that neither of them was in the running for Miss Congeniality. 

Still she remembered that night as the night that things fell into place, it laid down the foundation of their friendship. It was the first memory she had of them spending time together on an activity that wasn't strictly academic based and outside the company of their circle of mutual friends, and the night she came to understand just how much a nerd Ichigo secretly was underneath his so-called cool guy persona. 

Of course that being said, he can still be a jerk and before she could nod off to the rolling credits, he actually shook her awake just to make her swear that she wouldn't tell another living soul about the movie night or about the fact that he has a complete DVD set of the Godfather Saga including the director's cut and commentary because he has an "image" to uphold. 

Cue the dramatic eye roll. 

* * *

_Waking up next to Ichigo naked though was definitely an experience._

* * *

Rukia squinted at the harsh light of the morning- groaning low in protest before she was tugged close to lie on her side and pulled into a human wall- solid and firm, all supple muscles and sun-kissed skin, warm skin but even warmer touches, unyieldingly hiding her from the Sun's glare while she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Goosebumps rose from where his fingers had brushed, drummed, and now stilled, finding a home at the base of her spine and she instinctively shifted her weight so his arm could drape more comfortably across her middle.

She smiled, gently cradling his face in her hands and pressed butterfly kisses on his lips as she scooted closer towards him. 

His whole being radiated warmth and her heart was doing silly little somersaults in her chest with each passing second as her eyes held his. 

* * *

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_

_Ba-thump!_

* * *

Years ago if someone told her that she would eventually fall in love and end up falling into bed with her best friend, she would take one good look at them, sigh as Ran manages to somehow brain-wash another poor soul and turn them into supporters of her so-called Ichiruki campaign, declare them a lost cause and move on.

People were forever poking their noses into her business, speculating about her relationship with the orange-haired doctor by virtue of her being a Kuchiki and the two of them being practically joined at the hip, can apparently share just one look across the room and instinctively _know_ what the other wants or is about to do. 

Over the years she had learned to ignore those knowing looks thrown at their direction whenever she leaned a little too close to him, learned to ignore the amused smirks whenever she's in a room, and Ichigo seemed to only have eyes for her, so no matter how far the topic or subject of the conversation veered, he always found himself talking to her. 

People see what they want to see and she had given up on the idea of changing their minds years ago. She's content to let them talk while maintaining her _nakama_ -hood with her best friend because she loved nothing more than using her actions and the fact that nothing ever progressed beyond friendship between her and Ichigo, to prove the world wrong. 

Until now that is. 

Rukia laughed. 

She had never thought she would be so happy to be proven wrong. This gorgeous, beautiful man was hers. Ichigo _loves_ her and she would be a bigger fool than she had ever imagined herself to be if she didn't hold on- hold on to him until the skies bled into the sea, until star fires burn out and dull, until the inevitable swallows them all. 

Under the covers, she tangled their limbs together, sinking deeper into his hold until their hips were pressed against each other and she could hear his heart beating strongly in time to hers. Her fingers traced circles and silly patterns over and over again- like her brain couldn't process anything beyond the fact that he was here, right next to her- over any patch of skin she could reach on him- on the shoulder blade, his very lickable biceps, and toned chest. 

She curled her toes and sighed in response to his hardening length pressed against her thigh. Something within her throbbed and ached- wanted him inside her again, to fill her out and make her sigh in mindless contentment. 

But they were in no hurry. 

Right now, she simply wanted to be held, to be reminded that she was loved, cared for and so _hopelessly_ soft for him. 

She tilted her head upwards as she searched for his face- smiling as sleepy eyes blinked owlishly at the man peering down at her. Playfully booping him on the nose, she was left a giggling mess when he caught her finger between his teeth and made a show of sucking on the digit, mock-biting before releasing it with a loud 'plop' from his lips. 

She drank in the sight of him- the lazy smile playing on his lips, the nervous bob of his Adam's apple as he moved his hand further south, palming the naked flesh of her butt, the way his beautiful eyes whispered _good morning_ to her as he laid on his side, head resting flat on his open palm, fiery locks made even brighter as shafts of sunlight poured in. 

Stretching languidly, she yawned before cuddling against him, feeling utterly relaxed and satiated as she breathed- sharp and deep, wanting to commit every single detail of him, from the way the morning light lit the spark in his eyes to the way his scent seemed to cocoon her, to memory. 

* * *

_Home._

_She's home._

* * *

Rukia kissed him.

She was a woman drunk on love and he followed her lead as she pulled them both into a dizzy labyrinth of want and need, spiralling further away from coherent speech, lucid thoughts and the need for oxygen as teeth scrapped against skin, marks made on skin were soothed over and lips melded against one another. 

She squealed when his wandering hand found her ticklish spots and the two of them grappled on the bed, laughing and giggling in a naked tangle of limbs that she was in no hurry to dislodge herself from. The world could wait or go on without them, Rukia didn't particularly care- she just wanted him. 

His stubble pricked her skin and she poked at his side. "You need to shave," she told him primly. 

He hummed in response, twirling a lock of her hair absentmindedly as he brought his lips to hers. Her kisses were a drug he was in a habit of getting addicted to. He didn't want to be apart from her- not now, not ever- not when they've final- 

* * *

_Rumour… rumour has it… Rumour…_

* * *

Her phone- the bane of his love (and sex) life- rang.

He groaned loudly and painfully as he realized that it was coming from somewhere down the hall. Probably lying somewhere between a ruined _Versace_ dress and his jeans, he mused- and cotton panties - he grinned to himself as he remembered the feel of the material against his fingertips as he rubbed and coaxed at her slit through it- the way liquid heat pooled, how warm her skin had felt under his touch, the way her body jerked when his fingers dipped under the snug band and touched her there, the memory of how wet and eager she had been that it was a miracle they both made it to her bed before they both lost control. 

His mind buzzed with the things he did to her after he tugged her panties off, the sight of her juices coating his fingers in a shiny sheen, the taste of it as he brought it to his mouth and licked them clean before delving in for a better taste with his tongue, the memory of the tight squeeze of her vaginal walls as he made her come on his fingers, his tongue, his cock- so thoroughly and savagely that they both regressed to their baser selves- wild, feral and utterly reckless in their pursuit of the high of their pleasure, the way their bodies connected and writhed and made music with each other. 

She had his seal of approval, marked, clawed and bitten into the flesh of her tender breasts, her neck, her butt cheeks, with the way she fisted his hair, the hungry sounds she was making, the way her body bucked as she met his wild thrusts and the face she made as she came- mouth open, jaws slack, drool by the side of her mouth. 

"I should go get that," she murmured in her sleep heavy drawl as she made a move to disentangle herself and get up from bed but Ichigo's grip along her waist tightened, pulling her back into his warm embrace and the comforts of the bed instead. 

"Stay," he whined, muffling his response in her hair as he held on to her. Memories of last night made him ache and his entire being thrummed with need- in need of her and the feel of her body. She was the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle that mapped the heart and soul of his body and last night showed him that she belonged to him- they belong with each other. 

They shouldn't even be wasting their time talking about a stupid phone and debating on whether or not to pick it up, not when she had better things to _do_. 

* * *

_Like him._

* * *

"Stupid phone doesn't get you. Not this time."

Carefully sliding her hair over one shoulder, he nuzzled his face against her cool skin, blowing hot air against it as he moved them further away from the edge of the bed. He had terrible experiences with her ill-timed phone calls, but unlike his botched first attempt at confession this time he was determined not to be cock-blocked by the infernal device. 

She giggled at his antics, at the very possessive hold he had on her middle as he held her down- her back to his front, while he began pressing kisses to the back of her neck, her shoulder blades even- a convincing argument as any to dissuade her from leaving. 

Rukia bit down on her lip, trying to reason with her big baby. 

"It could be important." 

"Don't care." 

His muffled response came as he found a particular spot by the side of her neck, right below her ear that never failed to make her breath catch when he nuzzled against it. And it hasn't stopped yet, he found as Rukia's body turned pliant when he latched on to the spot, suckling and pressing ardent kisses alternately until the skin turned red and worried. 

Her breathing was turning ragged and he loved the effect of the airy, almost breathless quality in her voice as she staved off his advances as best as she could. When his teeth scrapped a little none-too-gently at it, she whimpered and shuddered, instinctively baring her neck to him, offering him more of her. He could mark her whole neck and cover her body with love bites if he wanted to as long as she gets to return the favour. 

" _Ahhh_ -" she gritted her teeth, willing her voice to be steady- "It could be Nii-sama." 

He growled. 

"Then he can fuck off! I don't need to think about him when I'm trying to have sex with his sister." 

She quirked an eyebrow at him, suppressing shudders as he shifted his weight and his throbbing cock slid unbearably close to her sex. His fingers crept low to rest on her inner thigh- still stained with the remnants from last night, playing with the dark curls he found there. 

She squirmed against his hold, chewing at her bottom lip until it became almost bloodless. She was barely holding it together. He had only to dip his fingers a little lower and he would have realized the extent of his effect on her- already dripping wet and slick beyond belief. 

* * *

_Too much._

* * *

Rukia frowned as she turned to face him, hand on his wrist to still his movements.

"Can we just cuddle for now?" 

Last night was … magical. Ichigo was so good to her- so warm, tender and sincere- the way he made her toes curl with every kiss, patches of skin where he had anointed with honeyed lips and sharp teeth, the barely there tremor in his fingers as he unzipped her dress and the hitch in his breath as he bent over to cover her body with his, the path he made with open-mouthed kisses and sharp nips, branching from the corner of her lips to her inner thighs. 

His fingers and his lips- she swore she would never look at them the same way again, not after last night with the way he had so thoroughly robbed her of her senses with them and pleasured her, sliding them deep into her and when his length filled her- _urghh_ just thinking about it made her skin tingle and cheeks warm. 

She wouldn't trade what happened between them for anything in the world but her body bore bruises and bite marks- a plethora of sunset colours ranging from pink, blue to dark purple that stood out as much as the blue-green veins on her pale skin. The dull ache down there and sore muscles reminded her that all actions have consequences and right now, her physical body was paying the price for last night. 

Rukia bit her lip, not wanting to spoil the mood. The last thing she wanted to do was to ruin their experience of their first morning in bed together, not after last night. 

Her face turned pink as she struggled to keep herself from fidgeting and to keep a straight face in front of her lover. 

"I'm sore," she admitted quietly as she hid her face under the duvet. 

"Hey," he followed her, slipping himself under the cover and kissed her on the tip of her nose, "it's okay. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's okay that you don't want to have sex." 

Ichigo touched their foreheads together and breathed in. "It's my fault. I should have been more careful with you last night. I was to-" 

His bed mate shook her head, silencing him as she placed her fingers to his lips. 

"Don't apologize," she whispered, "You were perfect last night. You made me feel so- so so much, so many things. You make me so happy, so _good_ \- just so loved and I-" 

She wrung her hands; at a lost to put a name to the way he made her feel. She inhaled deeply, "You complete _me_ and I want to do the same for you." 

"And you do," he told her, tucking her under his chin and close to his heart, "You complete me, Rukia. If you can put up with me awkwardly fumbling in the dark with one arm looking for a zipper," he bit his lips, hiding his smile, "then I'd say we're even." 

Oh right that happened too- she giggled. 

"Or like the way you almost lost it when you saw me naked?" she teased and he predictably groaned. 

"You're never going to let me live it down, are you?" 

She shrugged. "Maybe." 

"Or," she offered with a suggestive wink, "Maybe I can be persuaded to forget about it with better _performances_ in the future?" 

"Such a tease," he murmured as he kissed her forehead and she allowed herself to relax in his arms. 

"I mean it though Rukia," he trailed kisses to cover her face- first her forehead; "We can go slow and find a pace that works for both of us-" followed by kisses on her eyelids and her nose. "Tell me what you want, how you feel-" He kissed her cheeks- 

"I'm your best friend before I'm your lover." 

. 

He kissed her lips- so gentle and tender, so full of his love for her, that she wanted to cry. 

"So if you want to cuddle and have breakfast in bed then that's what we'll do." 

Her lips tremble as she pressed her lips to his- chaste and almost reverent. What did she do to deserve this man? 

"I'm sorry I cock-blocked you." 

"I love you," he told her in between kisses, "that shouldn't change just because I'm not getting any. And," he scoffed. "You're not cock-blocking me. I'm _choosing_ not to have sex at the moment, in fact let me get you some ibuprofen and a glass of water." 

Pressing her front to his chest, her nose nudged against his, as she threaded her fingers through his hair. Her mouth slanted against his, tentatively brushing their lips together. 

"I love you," she murmured. 

It was adorable the way a goofy smile just lit up on his face at that and the way his ears turned pink. He made a point of clearing his throat loudly and pointedly avoided her gaze as he disentangled himself, mumbling something under his breath about her being weird. 

She couldn't hide her smile even if she wanted to as she watched him wander off- unclothed and naked as the day he was born down the hall. The sight of his bare back, the muscles that rippled as he moved- she found it all a little too distracting as she threw herself back onto bed. His voice echoed back to her across the room as she sank deeper within the covers. 

Eventually he came back into the bedroom, delivering his promise and as a bonus, dropped her phone into her lap and greeted her with a kiss on the lips. 

This morning was simply too perfect to be ruined by work. 

"I think I'll have to call Yoruichi and tell her I can't make it to work today." 

"Rukia Kuchiki playing hooky?" he teased. "That doesn't sound like the Rukia I know at all." 

She grinned unabashed at him, crooking a finger at him to come closer and then whispered into his ear. "It's not hooky if I have a doctor's note to prove otherwise." 

Ichigo laughed, peppering her with more kisses much to her delight. 

"I guess the real question now is this," hot air fanned her face as he focused his gaze on her swollen lips, "What do you want for breakfast?" 

Rukia tugged him back into bed instead, silencing his yelp of surprise with her lips until they're breathless and glowing. 

. 

Later, much later after Ichigo _finally_ served her breakfast in bed, and they both giggled, cuddled, fooled around, and slept to their hearts' content as the day came and went and she couldn't get away with ignoring her real life responsibilities any longer, only then did she deign it appropriate to answer her phone. 

She scrolled past the Lenny Face Yoruichi sent her as a reply, rolling her eyes good-naturedly at the few smirking face emoji she received from the rest of the girls. Nii-sama had sent her an inspirational message on _Whatsapp_ to wish her a good productive day. More work messages, pictures from Ran on a _Silver Cross_ pram and possible decoration ideas for a baby shower. 

Thus far, nothing out of the ordinary until she saw the missed call from an unknown number. 

* * *

_Beep!_

_You have ONE new voicemail._

* * *

The voice coming from the other end turned her blood into ice.

* * *

"Hi Rukia. Just your friendly ex-fiancé checking in on you. So um… listen we need to talk. Call me back."

* * *

. 

. 

They arranged to meet at a local café, ten maybe fifteen minutes away from her apartment. It was nothing special, practically empty except for the baristas on a Tuesday afternoon and perfect in its anonymity- the two of them out of sight from anyone who knew anything about their privileged statuses and complicated history. She even made Ichigo promise to stay at home because she was adamant that she needed to face this alone. 

Just two old friends drinking tea. 

And an ocean of awkwardness between them. 

She took a sip from her cup. He looked older- tanner, eyes ever the shade of ocean green- the same yes, but now that they were seated opposite each other, social pleasantries outworn, her initial excitement at seeing him again had passed and all she wanted to know was why- why did he want to see her again, why now. 

"So what's on the agenda?" 

He grimaced. "Can't old friends just meet up? Don't be so cold, Rukia." His nudge was meant to be playful but to Rukia, it didn't seem that way at all. 

She narrowed her eyes at him. 

"I would hardly call us _friends_. As you had pointed out in the voicemail, you're my ex-fiancé," she said, "And I thought you made it abundantly clear that you wanted nothing to do with me after our last meeting." 

He shouldn't be allowed to get away with it. She clenched her fist- this casual familiarity as though nothing happened between them, as if they hadn't agree not to see each other anymore at their last meeting, as if they were still the inseparable playmates growing up, as if the engagement never happened, as if he never broke her heart and left her behind to clean up the mess. 

Rukia took a deep breath and asked again. "Why did you want to see me again Kaien? I thought we agreed that we shouldn't see each other anymore. If not for my sake then at least for your Miyako's sake, you said it yourself, she doesn't need to know what happened between us." 

Kaien seemed genuinely surprised, leaning back against his chair as he held his steaming cup. 

"I wanted to see how you're doing," he said. "I was concerned about you." 

Rukia scoffed. Whatever direction he was trying to lead this conversation to, he was being horribly obtuse about it and she _hated_ the sympathy-filled tone he was using on her. Had he truly been concerned for her, he wouldn't have left her alone at the gala after speaking a total of five sentences with her- all one sided affirmations from her and one-lined statements from him. 

She was angry and tired- truly tired of playing along, tired of being strung along, tired of just being accommodating and understanding and the sooner she found out what he wanted from her the sooner she can go back to her life without him. 

"Okay, then let's talk- let's talk about the engagement, about what happened when you left and ran away from home." 

The colour drained from his face as he tried to back track but she was dead set on him answering her questions. 

She set her cup on the table firmly, "You were gone for all those years. No notes, no emails- nothing to even give me a hint that you were still alive. And you left without saying anything to me. You can hardly expect me to ignore this and welcome you back like nothing ever happened?" 

His next words floored her. "But I left the note, didn't I?" said Kaien, his eyebrows knotted and perplexed, "I **told** you that I wanted to break off the engagement. You're like a baby sister to me and I can't marry you." 

"No," she glared at him, "you left a note for my **brother**. The note was addressed to the Head of the Kuchiki family. You didn't even think that I was important enough to leave a separate note for?" 

She slammed her hands on to the table, ignoring the look of surprise from him. "And I never said anything about it but you knew- you knew that I liked you, _yes it was stupid_ \- a very cliché schoolgirl crush, _I know_ but we grew up together. You didn't even have the guts to tell me that you didn't feel the same way to my face?!" 

"You said that I was practically family to you but I waited twelve years for you to call, to email or heck to even goddamn write to me, to explain what happened, why you did what you did, why you never told me anything about this. You didn't even try, so you know what," she suddenly smiled, "I kept the engagement because I knew this was the only chance I would ever have," she jabbed her finger into his chest, her tone accusatory and she _dared_ him to even try to interrupt her, "I want you to tell me why." 

"Why didn't you tell me anything about this? About the engagement or that you were leaving? You were going to leave your 'baby sister' behind and not even consider dropping her an email about what you were doing, why you did it and why you never told her anything about this. We were best friends," she said, "You should have trusted me." 

Her voice broke. "Instead I had to find out from a letter addressed to the Head of the Kuchiki family- my own brother that my fiancé left his family- that I even had one to begin with!" 

"I had to find out from the gossip mill that my betrothed was so disgusted by the idea of marrying me that he had to **abandon his family**! I lost my best friend in the world, to be mocked and ridiculed and shamed. I had to be sent away- away from Kuchiki Manor, away from Japan, to the States **alone** to **avoid bringing further shame to the family name**!" 

"Do you know what it's like to be whispered about at every party, to be talked about behind your back and outright ignored by the people in our circle?" 

The woman continued, "Do you know the things they say about me- silly Rukia couldn't even keep her fiancé happy, the Kuchikis are going to have a spinster on their hands now?- Do you know the amount of sympathy those packs of vultures have for a teenager? Do you know how utterly miserable I was the first year I was here alone?" 

She could feel her tears coming and furiously blinked them away. "What the hell did I ever do to you Kaien Shiba to deserve this!" 

Her emotional outburst made him speechless. 

"I had no idea." 

"No of course not, you stupid _selfish_ prick," she chuckled bitterly. Time had a way of screwing with her memories, leaving her with the good ones and replacing most of the bad ones with the ordinary, non-threatening ones like how he takes his tea or how much he hated English Lit and History. So yes, Kaien was a good guy but he was far from a saint. He was selfish to the core- a by-product of his environment, the privileged upbringing he received as the eldest son from an illustrious household and his own arrogance. 

"You thought running away solved all the problems. You might be right there- running away took care of all your problems. The rest of us had to put up with the consequences and live with them." 

"And what consequences would they be, huh?" he asked, crossing his arms. "Rukia, who is _us_? All I heard was how **you** suffered! Well boo-hoo, drama queen! I am sorry you had to go through that shit alone but you can't blame it all on me. Just because you're a victim here- doesn't mean you can blow things out of proportions! I ran away from this once and I refuse." 

He glared at her, "I refuse to go back to that life. I like it out there- no rules to follow, no elders to please, no family honour to uphold. Don't you dare try to manipulate me into getting back with you!" 

The man she once knew looked at her with such rabid eyes and her grip on the cup tightened. 

Blame him? 

Guilt-tripping him? 

Manipulate him? 

Was this who she was to him- not his bestie Rukia-chan whom he grew up with but a fiendish manipulative bitch waiting in the shadows, bidding her time so she could snatch him up once he reappeared? 

Dear Lord, it was like he didn't even know her at all! 

"So all you left behind was a scorned woman?" she scoffed- all those years of friendship wasted and gone, "You thought wrong; no, you needed to know what everyone- not just me, went through because of your thoughtlessness." 

"You took all that money with you when you left," she started, her voice chilling and unforgiving as she dealt the blows, "Was it enough to keep you happy and fed I wonder? Living in style for the next decade or so?" 

She took note of his twiddling fingers and laughed. "No wonder you weren't in a hurry to come back!" 

He growled at her peals of laughter and told her, "Stop changing the subject, Kuchiki." 

"You're right, Shiba. And so I will get on with it," she said, "did you ever stop to think what that money was meant for instead? Do you know how much money is needed to keep a corporation like ours running and do you know how much time it takes to replace those funds?" 

The man spluttered but she was in no mood to hear his excuses. 

"After you left- or rather after you took the money and ran away- the business couldn't sustain itself. And you don't need me to tell you what happens next, do you?" she chuckled. "Everyone was just waiting, waiting to sink their claws into what remained of Shiba Corporations. They had to sell everything and by everything I meant that if it weren't for Nii-sama, Kukaaku and Ganju might have lost the Estate too." 

She watched as his eyes widened in horror but she refused to stop, "But of course that doesn't concern you, does it? Why should it matter if they have a roof over their heads or if any of the household staff even? Prince Kaien got what he wanted. Freedom at its best, don't you think?" 

Her words were knives to his heart but she wouldn't stop. 

"What a pity Kukaaku couldn't be more like you," she tutted, "She tried to save the company you know. She tried to take over the reins of the company as best as she could. Keep the damage to a minimum for the employees, tried to bring in investors. Too bad no one would even acknowledge her presence in a board meeting. You thought what they said about me was bad," she leaned in to whisper into his ears, "wait till you hear the nicknames they came up for her." 

She watched as the information sank in and she twisted the knife- further and deeper in. 

"Did you know that Ganju was bullied at school? Did you know that he almost ended up in juvie? Did you know he got kicked out of high school twice? That Kukaaku had to **beg** the principal to take him back each time? Rememb-" 

"SHUT UP!" he pushed his chair back, slamming his fists on to the table but Rukia was far from done. 

"What's the matter, Shiba?" she smirked, "Struck a nerve did I? What they had to endure- what we had to go through after you left; was it worth it?" 

After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to croak out, "I never knew. They didn't say anything to me." 

The woman rolled her eyes, "They are your family. Of course they wouldn't want this on your precious conscience. Besides, I doubt they had any way of contacting you. Have you met either Kukaaku or Ganju yet?" 

His shifty eyes and refusal to meet her gaze said it all. She snorted- maybe she should be the one ashamed. She had learnt more about him in the past few minutes than she had ever did in all their years together. 

"You're a coward," she told him sharply, "Don't be surprised if Kukaaku would much rather you be dead to her but Ganju- Ganju might take you back. You were his favourite _aniki_ after all," she chided. 

Kaien looked at her and for a second she could almost read his mind. He must be shocked at this version of Rukia- sharp-tongued and spiteful to the point of ruthlessness but twelve years can do a lot to a person and she wasn't the same naïve teenager whose world revolved around him anymore. 

Or maybe they never really knew each other. Maybe they were just two misfits conveniently lumped together by their families and stuck around for convenience's sake. 

Growing apart was inevitable. 

In that instant, he suddenly looked smaller- still the man she grew up with but no longer the man of her dreams. He didn't command her undivided attention and she didn't live to seek his approval. 

Not anymore. 

Older Rukia could sympathize and understand what he had done- a boy barely twenty and already had his whole life planned and plotted for him. His rebellion was born of desperation and perhaps things may have been different had she been older- a true friend instead of a younger sibling. 

Maybe then he wouldn't have to run away, put all those he cared about through this torture. 

But those were merely 'ifs' and she could spend her whole life talking about, thinking about them but it wouldn't change what had already happened. Even if she could understand his motives and forgive his actions, they could never go back to the way things were ever again. 

They've both had too much growing up and bad habits to ever fall back into the missing gaps left behind all those years ago. After today, they would go back to the way they had been for the past twelve years- not siblings, not friends- just someone they happened to grow up with, friends who grew apart and eventually became strangers who will pass each other by on the street someday and wouldn't feel bad about not stopping to say hello. 

"I am sorry," he said, "But that's what I'm here for today- this meeting is about me making amends. I want to arrange an _omiai_ bet-" 

Rukia held out her hand to stop him mid-sentence. "How exactly is an _omiai_ supposed to help?" 

"But don't you see Rukia? It solves all of our problems! I have an estranged younger cousin, you're still fabulously single. You guys get married, you get a husband, the elders from both houses get their precious alliance and get off my back, I get to go home and introduce Miyako to everyone!" 

He clasped his hands tight. "Everybody WINS!" 

She gave him a sardonic smile. "Just like that huh? Sorry Rukia, you didn't get your intended Shiba but _hey!_ here's an estranged cousin as consolation prize. Have him instead!" 

She pressed the fingernails into her palms so hard that she thought they would bleed. 

"You selfish ignorant _cur_!" she hissed, "You never learn, do you Kaien? It's always about you. Prince Kaien has spoken so we must bend to his magnanimous decisions?" 

She snorted. 

"Well newsflash, not this time! Just because I accepted the annulment of our engagement doesn't mean you get to pick the man for me to marry. I accept you breaking off the engagement but I don't forgive you. Did it ever occur to you that I might have someone waiting for me too? That I don't want whatever cousin you have arranged as your pitiful stand in? That I can actually be happy? That I'm not some stupid 16th century scorned woman who got left behind and died of a broken heart from unrequited love?" 

She pushed her chair back noisily as she got off her chair. 

"The elders not accepting your marriage with Miyako is not my problem though I suspect it has more to do with the fact that there's a clause in her inheritance contract that prohibits her husband's family from sinking their claws into her inheritance that's really the issue here," she sneered at him, "I wash my hands clean off of you and your problems." 

Ichigo was right. She never should have agreed to meet Kaien. 

She was looking for closure, not to be reminded that she had been reminiscing about her childhood memories through a set of heavily-filtered lenses and her childhood hero was a selfish, arrogant prick! 

"I wasn't the one who broke it off so be a man and finish what you started or die trying." 

She pursed her lips- she should have known better. "I'm leaving." 

"Wait-" Kaien's hand shot out and grabbed at her wrist, and she snapped, turned to him and growled. 

"Let go of me right now Shiba!" 

He sighed. "Look Rukia, just hear me ou-" 

. 

**"Hey asshole!"**

. 

Surprised, both scions turned their heads to the direction of the newcomer. Kaien loosened his grip in that instant. His knotted eyebrows and confused expression said it all as he regarded the man who could have been his twin if not for the strange hair colour and a wounded arm in cast. 

Then, realization dawned. 

"You're Ich-" 

The rest of his words sadly were muffled by the crunch of Ichigo's fist against his nose. Kaien dropped like a rock and that sparked a riot within the tiny shop. 

Someone in the background screamed something about ringing the police and Rukia was shocked to say the least. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing Ichigo?" she asked, looking down at the crumpled form of her ex-fiancé, groaning pitifully and nursing a bleeding nose that looked, for all intents and purposes to be broken, and Ichigo- her lover, her best friend, standing with his chest heaving and pink knuckles. 

Ichigo shouldn't even be here. She was torn- should she help Kaien but what about the barista on the phone with the police- did she want Ichigo to be arrested? 

"No time," he muttered as he grabbed hold of her wrist and started pulling her towards the exit, "Let's get out of here now!" 

. 

. 

They ran- fleeing the scene like they were being chased by an angry mob with pitchforks and neither stopped for breath until they were safe behind closed doors- triple locked, with both of their weights thrown behind it for their peace of mind. 

Rukia clutched at her sides, panting at the intense workout. She was running in heels- she was lucky she didn't break her leg doing this! 

"You're crazy, you know that?" she shoved at him weakly. She felt like she was going to die with how fast her heart was beating, "I told you to stay at home!" 

Next to her, Ichigo sat on the wooden floor- his back to the door, sweaty and an absolute mess with his windswept hair and red face. 

"Like hell I was!" he growled, "I wasn't going to just sit back and watch you endanger yourself. Damn it, Rukia! What if he drugs you or kidnaps you or tries to do _something_ to you?" 

Rukia tried to keep her emotions at bay. She should be angry at him, she reminded herself- angry that Ichigo broke his promise but the things he said, the way he expressed his love and his concern for her- she didn't think anyone could love her as deeply as him and sometimes she just didn't know what to make of her emotions when she's with him. 

She sank to her knees, joining him on the floor unceremoniously. 

Rukia looked up to see him eying her with concern. 

"Are you hurt?" 

She shook her head. That idiot- how could he still be worried about her when he should be looking after himself? 

"I'm fine. But are you?" 

She reached for his hand, noting the faint discolouration on the knuckles and frowned. 

"How could you be so reckless? You shouldn't have punched him," she whispered. "He's not worth it and you could have injured your hands-" she looked at his wounded arm. 

She would never forgive herself if she ruined his future- if he hurt those life-saving surgeon hands because of her. 

She kissed his bruised knuckles. They need ice. 

"I'm not worth you ruini-" 

"Like hell you're not!" Ichigo would never let anyone talk bad about Rukia Kuchiki- not even if it was the woman herself- "You're worth everything to me! _Fuck_ Rukia-" he ran a hand through his hair- "You're everything to me and we both know the bastard started it. He can't just grab you like that! Shouldn't be allowed to keep that hand if he can't keep it to himself," he grumbled darkly. 

Her throat felt tight and her tongue heavy. There were so many things she wanted to tell him- so many things that she didn't have the words for. 

He's too good- too good for her. 

This man who was willing to risk everything for her, who believed in her and trusted her, who called her his everything- he's the missing part to her. 

He completed her. 

When she's with him she realized; she didn't want to be a Kuchiki. Why would she when she can just be Rukia- Ichigo's Rukia, a woman in love and in turn, loved. 

"Come here," he murmured as he hugged her to his chest, "Did you find the closure you're looking for?" 

"Kinda," she muttered. She leaned into his touch, melting into his arm as she breathed. "This whole thing with Kaien just reminded me how much of a selfish prick he can be. Did you know he was trying to broker an arranged marriage for me with his cousin? The nerve of that man to think that he can just show up and run my life, decide who I marry." 

Rukia made a face. "He's worse than Nii-sama. What the hell did I see in him?" 

"I'm going to assume the question is rhetorical," he quipped. 

She swatted him playfully. "Don't be an ass." 

He chuckled. He wanted to lay the world at her feet, to give her the very best of him, and spend the rest of their lives together- making her laugh till she cried and protect her- always, from herself, from the world. 

"C-Can I tell you something?" he asked, still holding her and cradling her to his chest, "I was worried about you- about what Kaien could do to you- I was so scared that he would win you back and you'd go running back to him." 

He hid his face in the crook of her shoulder. 

"And you'll leave me." 

Rukia scoffed. As if! 

"No one is going to steal me away from you, you idiot! You're not getting rid of me that easily. Not after you called me 'your everything', made me breakfast in bed and punched the living daylights out of someone in a misguided attempt to 'defend my honour'- which is stupid by the way because I can take care of myself but I appreciate the gesture nonetheless." 

She nuzzled her nose against his face, pressing kisses to him- soft and slow, the truest reflection of her love for him that sank deeper than words ever could. 

* * *

_I love you._

_I love you._

_I love you._

* * *

She leaned back from him, flashing him an impish grin. "You're a keeper, Ichigo Kurosaki. I think I'll stick around."

"Good," he touched their foreheads together, lips curved into a smile- an expression that she mimicked as she threw her arms around him and brushed her lips against his. 

She inhaled and exhaled- sharply, unsteadily. She finally found the words to an idea that she had been warming up to for a while now. 

* * *

_Here goes nothing._

* * *

"Ichigo, let's go on a date."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know we can't all have a guy like Ichigo *le sigh* so here have some fluff about our adorable dorks instead.
> 
> P.S. I'm sure we all know who Kaien's estranged cousin is.


	18. East of the Sun

_~Ichigo~_

Today was the day his cast came off and he felt like a new man - high off the exhilaration that he had two arms again, the dexterity afforded with two opposable thumbs and full command of his fingers to hold the scalpel steady as he sliced and sutured away. He had arms to do complex surgery with and of that he was unbelievably grateful. It felt good to be in control- full possession of his faculties, his arms healed and his mind eager, ready to sew, stitch, split and mend someone back into form. 

Being allowed back into the hospital- Ichigo felt whole again. 

This. 

The busy, people-filled corridors, the sight of doctors in coats, and nurses with charts, patients hobbling about, the sterile smell of hospital antiseptics and the bright fluorescent light; heck even the lousy coffee- this was what he missed. 

It felt good to be back. 

Now don't misunderstand- he loves his midget, would proclaim it loud and proud, rub it gleefully in the face of one Kuchiki clan leader if he could. The woman was the missing link he never realized he needed and he did not regret his time spent with Rukia, the time he spent healing his arm that brought him time and gave them both the push they needed to pursue a relationship that went beyond the realms of platonic and be happy- the 2.5 month he spent playing invalid and seducing Rukia Kuchiki- worth every _fucking_ second of it. 

But _this_? 

This was where he was needed and where he wanted to be. 

There was something about the certainty of knowing where he stood, of knowing he was holding the scalpel to a body and for the next hour or so he was the man in charge, human frailty is an obstacle that he overcomes with skill, knowledge, and experience. With scalpel at hand, he had a purpose; he was given a mission- a gatekeeper between life and death, to preserve the life of the patient lying on the operating table, whose life he was entrusted with and he performed his duty with conviction and above all, dedication. 

As he walked down the hall, he could see some new faces regarding him curiously. Nervous chatters, whispering from one ear to another as curiosity melded into understanding as information was passed along and processed. They looked at him with awe, an aspiring example to become, a kind of disbelief to his presence within the hospital. 

All at once the whispers started, as with the surreptitious glances and begrudging nods of respect. 

"Good morning Dr. Kurosaki." 

The hallway full of snotty interns, nurses, doctors and other medical staff cleared a wide berth for him. He made his way down to the hospital lobby desk where he knew Rukia was waiting, not minding the stares and not so-secretive gasps of surprise amongst the staff. Some of them had been convinced that he wasn't coming back- hospital administrators and trustees don't like wild cards like him, at least not with how he handled volatile situations anyway. 

Certainly he was right to save the poor woman but was his action considered appropriate for a surgeon? Did he needlessly endanger his own future and the reputation of the hospital by jumping in front of that woman? And no matter how slight the injury was; even if it was to his non-dominant arm, it just sends the wrong sort of message – he was wild, reckless and didn't care about his own safety, was this the sort of surgeon they would want traipsing around the hospital, working in the OR, was this the standard the hospital wanted to promote? 

He was just a fourth year neurosurgery resident, and with three more years to go the man was a ticking time bomb- a legal lawsuit just waiting to happen and no amount of positive publicity and cute news segment was going to cut it. 

Can the hospital handle that sort of liability? 

Thankfully the various department heads and Mer vouched for him- commended him for his bravery, praising him as a brilliant but selfless surgeon for setting the precedent by literally putting patient's safety before his own. It was decided unanimously that his ban from the hospital and from surgery for the 2.5 month while his arm healed was punishment enough and he would learn hopefully to not repeat the same mistakes again. 

Ichigo snorted. 

If there was any mistake on his part it was only that he didn't act fast enough and couldn't sneak a few blows to the bastard before security showed up. 

If he had a choice he would eagerly raise a salute to those profit-minded, money-driven vultures with his middle finger. What decent human being would just sit by and watch a crazy-ass psychopath take a bat to his poor defenseless, not-to-mention pregnant ex-wife? 

Under Rukia's insistence (read: _insistent_ kicks and nagging) though, he reluctantly promised to take his own health and safety into account when he's put in similar situations in the future. The last thing he wanted to do was to upset her and make her cry. 

The woman seemed satisfied with the promise she extracted, so for now at least, life was good. 

He got his arm back- it healed beautifully with no lasting damage caused and Rukia- his face broke into a smile that had his interns stopping dead in their tracks. A nurse passing by muttered something about how he might have broken them but _meh_ , they'll live. 

Ichigo wasn't the least bit concerned when he had Rukia and a date to look forward to. 

He had it all planned out. 

They were going to have a nice, typical date- a nice outing somewhere on the marina seafront by _Bell Street Pier_ , maybe go on a ferry ride and then have dinner at the restaurant he picked out. Simple, nice, sweet and afterwards they can go back home and cuddle and – 

* * *

_What the effing fuck?!_

* * *

He nearly tripped on his way down the stairs as his eyes widened in surprise at the middle-aged man talking to Rukia. He would know that tacky Hawaiian shirt from just about anywhere and that beard- Ichigo made a face. Did his father even put any effort into grooming before he rolled out of bed that morning or was he just trying to ruin his only son's life and scare Rukia away with it?

With his scowl firmly in place, he barked angrily at his father as he made his way to the pair. 

"Oi! Goat-chin! The _fuck_ are you doing here?" 

" **SURPRISE**!" 

Kurosaki senior was a kid high on sugar as he launched himself at his son but the young man was having none of it as he easily sidestepped and chose to let his progenitor sail through the air, not the least worried about the crash that ensued. 

Instead he grasped the petite woman by her shoulder, concerned about her well-being- mentally and psychologically. Hopefully his girlfriend was made of sterner stuff, because if the old man did anything to her at all- made her doubt his love for her or worse made her think that she was undeserving of it all, well there will be hell to pay. 

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" 

She looked shocked- as though she couldn't quite believe that his own father had tried to tackle him and was now lying face down on the hospital floor. As were the handful of onlookers who were surveying the scene, aghast and worried until the older man bounced back on his two good feet- undeterred by the slightest as he tried to then wrap his son in a chokehold. 

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched. Now was so not the time or place for his antics. 

"Cut it out right now!" he hissed before shoving his elbow into the older man's gut and easily reversed their position as Isshin was momentarily doubling over in pain. 

"You're embarrassing me in front of my girlfriend. **Behave**!" he growled before releasing his hold. 

The dark-haired man recovered almost immediately, still coughing as he thumped his son on the back-proud as though he wasn't a victim of his son's brutal force merely seconds ago. 

Rukia didn't quite know what to say to this. Whatever image she had conjured of Ichigo's father (a man he seemed to share an exasperating familial bond with) Isshin was altogether not what she had imagined. Ichigo told her that his father was a strict doctor who made sure he always came home by seven for dinner, showed him how to defend himself against neighbourhood bullies who called him names and bullied him into doing their homework just because he skipped a few grades at school, and made sure he got a head start to school by being his personal alarm clock. 

It certainly wasn't her fault if she drew conclusions from their conversation and came up with the image of a bespectacled, strict disciplinarian- always making sure that his children were on time, well-mannered and well-behaved. 

And _this_ man in front of her? 

This man was so far removed from that image she conjured. For crying out loud he just tried to _attack_ his son in front of all these people and she just spent half an hour trying to shut the man up while she was waiting for his son! No man who fathered a moody, _tsundere_ -y creature such as Ichigo has any business being so chatty and utterly chipper. 

She face-palmed inwardly at the memory of their earlier conversation. 

* * *

_"My wife was the prettiest thing ever! You know how sometimes you just have an epiphany that your life is never going to be the same the moment you see someone? It's like the stars just aligned themselves so perfectly that day and in that moment I caught a glimpse of a true miracle. I'm talking about love at first sight and I know you youngsters make fun of that these days-"_

_"No sir I wasn't goi-"_

_"But my Masaki is different. She was it for me! The woman was made of everything good that this blue planet could offer done right! She was perfect just by existing you know?"_

_Rukia wanted to interject that she didn't, in fact, know that because she had never laid eyes upon this talkative man before let alone his supposedly gorgeous wife._

_She glanced at her watch, playing with the hem of her dress as the man droned on._

_Where was Ichigo when you needed him?_

_He better not be having second thoughts about their date or she was siccing Nii-sama on him._

_"I proposed to her after 15 months of dating and that was it- the single best decision I had ever made in my life. It didn't matter that my family didn't approve of her. As far as I was concerned, I have her and we have each other and that was the only thing that mattered. We were married for thirteen years. Thirteen blissful years that I would never trade for all the money in this world. We have three beautiful children; two girls and a boy. My girls are twins- it runs in both our families. And my boy-" the dark-haired man smiled- "my boy takes after his momma. He was beside himself when my Masaki died in a road accident. I don't think our family ever truly recovered from the hole she left behind. Those thirteen years were the best time of my life. Even now, I can't help but feel that she's still here with me, you know?"_

_Okay, so the chatty man sounded sad and she wasn't heartless despite what her Kuchiki education tried to drill out of her so she tried to give him a sympathetic pat on the back but that seemed to have sent the wrong message to the man as he eagerly grabbed her by the wrist and turned to her with a gleam in his eyes._

_She could feel the goosebumps on her arm rising. Her fake Kuchiki smile was now a 100% in effect._

_"Sir? Kindly retract your arm."_

_"Of course, Miss. But I couldn't help but notice that for a beauty like yourself, your ring finger is surprisingly bare. Now I don't mean to intrude and obviously it's too late for an old-geezer like me; but my son, while he's not as good looking as yours truly when I was his age, isn't half bad. Well, he is a bit of a nerd- Masaki's side of the family, what can I say? But he's a good man. In fact he works right here at the hospital!"_

_There was now a wide megawatt grin on the man's face and Rukia didn't know if she should start running for her life. Her other hand went to grasp at the cell phone in her coat pocket._

_"I could introduce you two!"_

_He still wasn't letting go of her hand. Her eyebrow twitched._

_"Sir that won't be necessary. I have a boyfriend."_

_"My son's better looking than your boyfriend."_

_She snorted._

_The heiress wasn't typically in the business of showing off but she was pretty sure if she were to show the man a picture of Ichigo, the former would think twice about making stupid comments like that._

_Has he even seen her Ichigo in a suit? And that aside, she wasn't that shallow- there were other things that she valued besides looks._

_Ichigo was sweet, caring and sincere. Heck he even jumped in to save a patient at his own expense; she'll like to see this stranger's son try to top that._

_"My boyfriend is a neurosurgeon," she smirked._

_"Well what a coincidence! So is my boy!"_

_If she could face-palm, she would but the situation and their location demanded that she act like the polite, graceful noblewoman that she was brought up to be._

_Face-palming and berating an elder in public, no matter how annoying he was? Major no-no in Kuchiki 101!_

_"One date that's all I'm asking for. Just one date with my boy and I swear you won't even think about any other man. Ever again- trust me!"_

_The stranger winked at her and the heiress was annoyed to say the least- she was just about to speed dial Ichigo when the man himself appeared._

* * *

While she was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of Ichigo's father being the same man who had been talking her head off for the past thirty minutes with how beautiful his wife was and how happy their marriage made him, the Kurosaki father and son duo were embroiled in an animated discussion as the son questioned his father about the purpose to his visit.

"Why didn't the twins say anything?" 

"Papa begged them not to." 

As if on cue his phone dinged. Karin's text message was short and succinct- _Sorry_. 

Oh he's going to show her just how sorry she's going to be- she was off his Christmas list, not just for this year but for the next ten years as well. And the dirt he hadn't even told old goat-chin on her and Toshirou. 

* * *

_Oh baby sister this is so on!_

* * *

He growled, "You're interfering with _my_ plans."

"Oh Masaki!" Isshin was bawling theatrically, attracting once more the attention of curious onlookers, much to Ichigo's chagrin, "Why didn't you take me with you? If you could just see for yourself how our horrible son mistreats his father who only wanted to surprise him and make sure he's ok. Is that so wrong for a father to just drop by for a friendly visit?" 

The tips of his ears pinked from the attention of the gathering crowd. 

"Stop making a scene!" 

"B-But Ichigo! Papa hasn't heard from you in ages! I had to make sure that my only son is still alive and kicking. And when I heard from Karin-chan that you _finally_ manned up and asked Rukia-chan out on a date? Well I just had to see my future daughter-in-law in person." 

Isshin beamed as he held out his hand to a muted Rukia standing to his son's left. 

"I've heard so much about you from the twins. This meeting is long overdue," the older man was smiling as he shook her hand, "My name is Isshin Kurosaki- father to Yuzu, Karin and one Ichigo Kurosaki. Nice to meet you, Rukia-chan!" 

Sliding the bang behind her ear, Rukia gave a demure chuckle and curtsied. 

"And you, Dr. Kurosaki. It's clear to see where Ichigo got his good looks from," she flashed a teasing smile at Ichigo, who immediately turned red and became flustered. 

"R-Rukia, don't encourage him!" 

"Call me Papa. Gah she's so cute!" the older man shouted enthusiastically before enveloping her in a bear hug, making her yelp in surprise from the sudden loss of gravity. 

Ichigo jumped into action, immediately wrestling his beloved from his father's hold and cradling her close to his side as he glared at Isshin. 

"Hands-off!" he growled menacingly, "or I'm dropping you off straight away at the airport and sending you back to Japan." 

"B-But Papa just got here! You can't do that!" 

Ichigo's frown deepened. "Tell that to someone who cares! Now do we have a deal or not?" 

Isshin had the presence of mind to at least look sheepish at his son's warning and raised his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright you win! No man-handling Rukia-chan unless you're Ichigo Kurosaki. Got it." 

His son nodded at the reply and gingerly set his lover back on the ground but still kept a hand at the small of her back, ready to sweep her back into his arms at the slightest provocation. 

"So how long are you staying for?" 

"Just for a day. I have a flight later this evening to go to California and visit the twins." 

"Great!" Ichigo's eyes brightened, as he eagerly shuffled both his father and Rukia out the hospital doors, "I'll drop you off at a hotel so you can catch some shut-eyes before your next flight." 

"Oh hell no!" Isshin fought back against his son's tight hold, "I didn't endure all those hours flying economy, sitting in those cramped seats next to some of the most obnoxious passengers and listening to their loud snores, just to spend my first time in Seattle inside a hotel room. 

His son narrowly dodged the incoming punch as the elder Kurosaki resisted the former's push through the doors. 

"Well what do you want me to do then? Bring you around town so you can play tourist?" 

"Why my boy-" Isshin grinned, giving his son a thumb's up sign- "that's the best idea you had all day." 

Ichigo snorted. 

"Yeah over my dead body. I have a date with Rukia." 

"W-Wait-" Isshin hurriedly pulled out a pocket sized notebook from the depth of his shirt pocket- "the calendar says that the _chi_ today isn't suitable for a first date. The charts seem to indicate a great many things can go wrong. Please consider rescheduling- the last thing I want is for this thing between you and my dear third daughter to not work out all because you started off with the wrong date to begin your dating life." 

Ichigo's nostrils flared. It was so typical Isshin to pull some mumbo-jumbo crap like this on him. As if anything could come between him and his date with Rukia. The stars have aligned themselves perfectly for today and he'll be damned if his plans fell apart just because his father decided to play tourist for the day. 

"Oh I'll show you-" 

. 

Ichigo made a motion to grab his father by the collar but the older man was surprisingly nimble for his age and dodged the many attempts until Rukia decided that she had enough of both of their childish antics. Sighing deeply, she stepped in as peacemaker, grabbing her boyfriend's arm sleeves and tugging on them. 

Attention successfully gained, she said to him, "Let's reschedule, Ichigo." 

"Like hell we're going to reschedule! It's not our fault this man drops by unannounced. We shouldn't have to change our plans the last minute just to entertain him." 

"Play nice," she gritted, pulling him down to her eye level as she hissed, "He's your father and it's just for a day. It's not like he makes a habit of dropping by every month." 

"He better not be," he muttered darkly. 

"Think of it this way- do you want him to come spend the night with us or do you want to get this over with?" 

His face quailed. Oh hell no! It was bad enough his father was interrupting his date but to ruin his sexy alone time with Rukia?! 

Scowling, Ichigo nodded. He understood what was at stake here. 

"That's the spirit!" crowed Isshin triumphantly as he got his way, "think of it as a mini-Kurosaki family outing. What better way of introducing Rukia-chan into the family?" 

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched. His fist clenched- he was dying to rearrange his father's face- if anything just to swipe that annoying smirk off his face. 

Sensing his murderous intent, Rukia slipped her hand into his, rubbing soothing circles to the back of his palm and looking at him with those notorious puppy dog eyes of hers that she knew he could never say no to. He sighed, ran a hand through his hair in pure exasperation before pinching the bridge of his nose. 

He was definitely going to regret doing this. 

. 

. 

And he was right. 

Not only did Isshin manage to make him cancel his date with Rukia- not a major thing, just something that he'd been planning for since two weeks ago and ruin his day, the man also single-handedly ruined any opportunity he had of talking to Rukia, butting in every single time he was trying to have a meaningful conversation with the woman of his dreams. 

The older man was the third wheel and if he didn't know any better, Ichigo would say that his old man enjoyed playing gooseberry, loved to embarrass his only son and make the latter's life difficult. 

When Rukia suggested taking a selfie with him at the _Space Needle_ \- a step towards their commitment in becoming a couple, his father photobombed it; when he offered his jacket to the woman because he could see her shivering, the older man intercepted it and claimed it as the single nicest thing that his son had ever did for him. 

And just when Ichigo thought it couldn't get any more embarrassing than that, it seemed that he underestimated his father's capabilities in wreaking havoc. 

Kurosaki senior was caught trying to buy candies for a bunch of elementary school students and was mistaken as a potential kidnapper instead by the supervising teacher. Ichigo had spent the next hour or so, with Rukia's help, explaining to the security guards that his father while stupid and ignorant meant well and would never harm those children. 

No plans it seemed survive the machinations of Isshin Kurosaki. 

. 

And now they were seated inside a nice restaurant- all three of them looking a bit worse for wear, Rukia especially seemed a bit more tense than usual as she cut into her salmon steak, enjoying an early dinner. Ichigo gripped the knife hard and stabbed at the filet mignon viciously. 

He cannot _wait_ to get rid of his father and hopefully salvage whatever's left of his relationship with Rukia. That is **IF** they can make it through dinner in one piece. 

"So Rukia-chan what are your thoughts on babies? Am I going to be a grandfather soon?" 

Ichigo digressed. For the love of all that's holy, Isshin's mouth should just come attached with a zipper. 

. 

Surprised, Rukia choked on her food. Ichigo reached over to give her a few good thumps to the back before glaring at the man seated to his right. 

"Stop scaring her off, old man! You nee-" 

"I would like them." 

Ichigo's eyes widened. What the fuck?! Why was she playing along? 

"Not now anyway," Rukia blushed as she dabbed at the corner of her mouth primly with her napkin, "But in the future, I think I'll like two- maybe a girl and a boy. I think being an only child would be too lonely and the age gap between them shouldn't be too big." 

Ichigo looked at her like she had grown a third head and she was beyond embarrassed. 

"You never told me that!" 

And judging from her response it was something she had given a lot of thought about. Ichigo prided himself on knowing everything about her and this? 

This little nugget of information was something he never knew about. 

She blushed, "You never asked." 

Her boyfriend backtracked. 

She said 'them'- as in more than one, as in she wanted to make **babies** (note the plural form) with him. 

He gulped, taking hold of her smaller hands and pressing a kiss to the back of them. The way the colour swarmed to her cheeks and made its way down her neck was just too cute for words. And really the idea of Rukia wanting to make babies with him was making him hot under the collars. 

"I'll give you as many babies as you want." 

Rukia Kuchiki did the most unladylike thing he had ever seen as she squeaked at his reply- adorably, he might add before pushing her chair back noisily as she excused herself to the toilet, mumbling something about needing to powder her nose. 

He didn't even notice the goofy smile he was sporting until his father pointed it out to him. 

"Get a room you two," said a smirking Isshin as he sipped at the port wine, and casually slid a square velvet box towards his son, "at this rate I'll be a grandad in no time." 

Brought down from his high, Ichigo scowled. This man was forever finding new ways to torment him. He pocketed the box immediately- the contents of it were too precious to open in a public setting like a restaurant. 

"You know- when I told you I needed mom's ring I actually meant that you can FedEx it over or something. I didn't actually mean for you to come in person and crash my first date with Rukia." 

" _Pfft_. As if I would entrust you with Masaki's ring without giving it in person? And miss seeing Rukia-chan- the mother of my future grandchildren? Boy, it's like you don't know your old man at all!" 

Isshin continued unperturbed, even as his son's scowl deepened. 

"I had to see for myself what kind of woman you've gone and gotten yourself attached to. You get it from my side of the family Ichigo- men from my side of the family love dearly and we don't move on. Once we have our eyes set on her, bam! That's it for us- no take-backsies, no reset button. Loyal monogamists like us, son? We're a dying breed- almost like freaking unicorns at this time and age! I can't have you tying yourself to a woman who isn't going to be deserving of your affections and deprive myself the opportunity of having grandbabies to spoil." 

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched. 

"Why are you talking as though I'm some prudish woman whose reputation is at stake?" 

Isshin took another sip of wine. 

"Because I know you, Ichigo. You might put up a cool guy persona and act like you're too cool for the ladies. But I know the son that I raised with my Masaki- you're the sweetest little cinnamon roll underneath that tough guy, leather jacket exterior. The boy who scrapped his knees defending his sisters, my baby boy who was an absolute angel because he loved his momma so much that he slept through the night unless he was hungry, the same boy who didn't stop crawling into our bed whenever there was a storm outside until he was six, the boy who cried when we told him that Mr. Goldfish wasn't coming back. And the way you love- is the way I love, you will never be able to let go." 

Ichigo quietened down to let his father speak. It wasn't every day that you get to see the serious side of Isshin Kurosaki at work. 

"You love- so deeply, so wholeheartedly; always trying to spare others the grief if you can shoulder the pain yourself. But boy, I am your father- it's my duty to worry about my children- even ones who are as proud and hardheaded as you. I can't believe you didn't even tell me you got injured and made Yuzu and Karin promise not to tell me. Thank God someone in the family still loves Papa enough to tell me stuff. What were you thinking?" 

Ichigo pursed his lips, properly chastised for once by his father. This sort of conversation between them hasn't happened since he got caught fighting in middle school. 

"I'm fine. Rukia took very good care of me." 

Isshin gave him a suggestive smirk, complete with the wriggly eyebrows that made him chuckle too. 

"Oh I'm sure she did. And I can see that you've made the big leap and moved in with her." 

"That took guts. I know it's not easy to make changes- to leave your comfort zone to start something new-" Isshin clinked his glass to Ichigo, sounding like a man who spoke from experience, knew firsthand the struggles of entering something new without any certainty in the road ahead- "I am proud of you for taking that step. So are you going to tell me in person when she says yes to the big question or do I have to receive the wedding invitation through the mailbox?" 

The younger Kurosaki rolled his eyes. 

"Stop being so dramatic! Thanks to you she might never say yes- you probably scared her off with all your stupid antics." 

Isshin chuckled. 

"Ichigo, brain surgeon you may be but you don't know women. That girl just confessed to wanting to have children with you. And that- that is not something a woman decides lightly. Trust me- she'll say yes when the time comes. Besides," the man grinned, "I can get in with the times. Being married is not a prerequisite to have children and you can still give me grandbabies as long as it's something Rukia-chan is on board with." 

"S-Shut up!" 

It's not fair to spring this on him. It's not like he's ever imagined a cute little girl with Rukia's hair and his eyes or a boy with the typical Kurosaki family colouring. He can even be a carbon copy of Byakuya- he didn't care. It was the idea of Rukia with a round belly, and swollen feet, walking barefoot around in their house that was making all sorts of fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach. Children of their own- he would like that and really why stop at two, they've got good genes and he can always try to convince her to make more with him. 

He coughed delicately as Rukia emerged from her trip to the ladies' room. She seemed less tense, which was always good. 

"W-We're still too young for this parenting shit." 

"Of course, my boy. I understand. It will happen when it needs to happen," said Isshin, still smiling and surprisingly calm, "now let me get the bill. It's the least I could do after all the trouble I caused." 

. 

. 

The car ride on their way to the airport was shorter than he remembered. Before he knew it, his father had already checked in on the flight and was waving them goodbye just outside the departure doors. 

Ichigo wished the twins all the best in dealing with their father. They were going to need it- in spades. 

The pair quietly made their way back into the apartment. He had her hand in his and he was ready to collapse in bed- tomorrow was a new day and he'll need to do something to make it up to her for ruining their first date. 

"I'm sorry I ruined our date today. My dad is just-" he huffed, trying to find the right word to describe Kurosaki senior- "impossible." 

"I think your dad's fine." 

"Now I know you're just being nice," he teased, tugging her inside the apartment as the door shut behind them, "Don't worry. I'll start. He's crazy, eccentric, annoying, ev-" 

"He's your dad. He's got the right to be concerned about his son. And I can't believe you didn't even tell him you broke your arm." 

She took her shoes off and pressed a kiss to her boyfriend's cheek before disappearing into the bathroom. As the sound of running water filled his ears from the opened door, so too did the sound of Rukia's voice. 

"So what did your dad say about me?" 

"What?" 

He could literally _hear_ her rolling her eyes. 

"Oh don't play dumb. You guys definitely had a bit of father and son bonding at the restaurant just now and he said he wanted to see his son's girlfriend in person. So did I pass?" 

"Well it certainly helped that Yuzu and Karin can't shut up about you. They like you. As for my dad, I'm pretty sure he thinks you're the best thing that ever happened to me." 

He pattered loudly over to the bathroom, kissing her softly on the forehead before wrapping his arms around her. Their reflection- Rukia, now makeup-free but still glowing and him, the luckiest bastard in the world- stared back at him. His heart was so full and that was something even a ruined date couldn't take away. 

"My family loves you. And I'm sorry my father ruined our date. But what if I told you that I'm the reason he came today?" 

She narrowed her eyes. 

"What do you mean?" 

He reached for the box and placed it in her hands. 

"Goat-chin came by to give me this," he said, "open it." 

Rukia's eyes widened. Inside the box, was a simple gold band set with a small diamond at the centre. The diamond solitaire was simple, modest and everything she could ever want. 

Her heart stopped. 

"Ichigo I can't!" she spluttered, "This is too soon. I'm not rea-" 

" _Tch_! Give me some credit won't you? I'm not proposing to you right now. We've barely even been on a normal first date thanks to my crazy old man." 

The heiress heaved a sigh of relief before tilting her head upwards to meet his gaze. 

"So why are you showing this to me then?" her eyebrows furrowed and she pouted, "You better not be thinking of proposing to some other girl with this ring, Ichigo Kurosaki." 

"Wow! Your level of trust in me is truly remarkable, Rukia," Ichigo deadpanned, "Let me finish, won't you? This is different. I know you hate surprises and I promise you this is not something I want to spring on you without warning so this is a promise. More specifically," he wet his dry lips, "my promise to you. It was my mother's and I think she'll want her future daughter-in-law to have it. For what it's worth I think my mom would have loved you." 

Rukia swallowed. Now this is really too much- Ichigo was planning to propose to her with his mother's ring? The wonderful woman that Isshin had spent an entire afternoon waxing poetry and singing praises for- this ring belonged to _that_ woman, Ichigo's mother, the woman who held their family together- could she ever deserve such a precious heirloom? 

"I need you to know that _this_ is on the table. Years from now, hopefully not too long, you will wake up and realize that you're ready. When that happens-" he could feel something pricking at the corner of his eyes, his breath choking; thankfully Rukia wasn't making a fuss out of this- 

"When _you_ decide it's time, when you're ready, I want you to tell me. And then I'd ask you. Properly- this time, to marry me." 

His hands grasped Rukia's- still holding onto that velvet box and eased it from her hands, pocketing it once again into his trousers and there it will stay- for now at least. 

He kissed her on her lips with all the tenderness he had within him because his father was right- he loved too deeply, cared too much to ever let her go. In this lifetime at least he's stuck with her- for better or worse, in sickness and in health. 

"I'll be waiting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for ruining their date. It was for the greater good. Last chapter tomorrow!


	19. West of the Moon

_~Rukia~_

Rukia felt the press of his kisses first. 

The dip in the mattress and the warmth of human skin pressed against her body that followed soon after, made her smile. Finally, after a hard day at work, the doctor was home and ready to join her in bed. She heard him yawn, stifling it at the back of his hand as he snuggled closer against her, wrapping her in his scent and his strong arms before she could lift the covers over both of them. 

Bleary eyes still heavy with sleep, she reluctantly turned to face him, kissing him on the tip of his nose before she whispered tenderly. 

"Welcome home." 

A quick glance at the alarm clock told her it was just a little over six. The sun was beginning to rise over their beloved city and she was curled up against her favourite person under the covers- warm, snug and content. 

She reached for him in the dark, noses brushing and fingers interlaced with his as she breathed him in. 

She missed him- missed having dinners with him, missed their nightly rituals of kissing each other good night and the way his body moved against hers under the covers. When they're twined together- too far entangled in each other to know where one started and where one ended is when she felt most at home, where she can be her most vulnerable with him. She craved the intimacy afforded by naked bodies sliding against one another in the afterglow. 

Rukia pulled herself closer to him. 

He grunted in reply, making a half-hearted attempt of sneaking butterfly kisses down the column of her throat, before deciding that he was too tired to continue. Like a child, he huffed, hiding his face in the crook in her shoulders, his soft hair tickling her face as she held him. 

She sighed, running a hand through his hair, scratching on his scalp lightly as his breathing evened. 

"Rough shift huh?" 

Another loud grunt. 

The poor baby had just pulled a continuous month of covering the night shifts at the hospital. The change in shift rota was purely bad luck, coinciding horribly with the staffing issues they had going on. Ichigo had put on his brave face, insisting that he was fine and used to running late night shifts and managing his sleep deprivation, but Rukia could hear the exhaustion in his voice, the almost absent way he sometimes stared into empty space. 

He had so much on his plate, officially going on his sixth year of residency programme now- another year of residency, then fellowship. 

She smiled, brushing the hair back from his face as he lied still. 

He was getting closer to his goals every day and she was so excited for him. If these were the growing pains, the stumbling blocks on his career paths, she wouldn't let these road blocks keep them apart from each other. Short term separations like these are annoyances that she would bear- soldier on with him as long as he's still there by her side at the end of the grueling day or night. She'd be with him every step of the way; she would be his rock and if he's hurt, she would hold him and kiss him until he felt better. 

It would all be worth it in the end. 

He made another grunt at her in his sleep, mouthing something incoherent against her skin while she tightened her hold on him. She wondered what he was dreaming about- if she made any appearances in them, if like her, he slept better when she was there with him. 

She smiled, kissing him on his forehead. 

That's okay- he should just sleep for now. They can talk later in the morning. 

She held him, hugging him to her chest, softly humming a lullaby she remembered from childhood and ran her hand through his hair until they both drifted off again. 

. 

. 

. 

With the warmth of the sun on her face and the scent of Ichigo surrounding her, she was almost convinced that she was still dreaming when she first came to. She had been dreaming of him again- of them coiled up together, mouth to mouth, fingers digging into skin, the slip and slide of hot sweaty skin as they moved as one. 

Of course it was one thing to dream and quite another to have your lover hovering over you, caging you in, fingers pumping into your slick heat and sharp teeth nipping at nipples through a nightgown- looking for all intents and purposes like a primordial sex god and your body was the promised feast. 

The sun was shining behind him, blinding her as she took in the sight of his naked body- the way contours of muscles framed his body, her skin feverish under his touch, the tight grip he kept on her thighs as he knelt between her parted legs, knuckle-deep at work and sweat dotting his brows as he drove his fingers in and out of her- undulating, unrelenting. 

She moaned and his eyes found her- as if only just noticing that she was awake. 

Somehow his fingers made their way in deeper within her core, the absolutely _filthy_ way she could feel herself tightening around them, coating them in her slick essence as she rocked against them. 

She gulped at the dark gleam in his eyes as they shared a look, merely seconds before he smirked and tugged her panties down all the way, bunching them and throwing them into some unnamed corners of the room. Her body pulsed with nervous energy, the energy between them thick and heady as he lazily latched on to her breast, a purr of satisfaction as her body arched to offer him more. 

She tried to raise herself up only to be pushed back onto the mattress, his weight keeping her in place as he pinned her down. 

"Good morning," he said- his voice was gruff, thick with sleep, the undercurrent of it though was electrifyingly potent with the things he'd like to do to her. 

He nudged her legs to spread further apart and she was only too happy to oblige. His teasing voice when he turned towards her with a feral gleam in his eyes. She could practically hear the naughty suggestions that he was dying to feed her- all those fantasies he had; and of those, she was all-too-ready to indulge in. 

"Look at you," he teased, his voice a dark whisper rising between her legs as he resumed thumbing at her clit. Just the sound of his voice was enough to send a dark thrill racing through her body that had her shuddering and impossibly wet down there. She bucked her hips- grinding herself desperately against his curling fingers. 

Anything, she would do anything for him to continue what he was doing to her only deeper and faster- replace it with something thicker than the width of his three fingers if he would be so kind to oblige. 

She whimpered, pressing her hand to her mouth valiantly to hold back her moans, earning a dark, throaty chuckle from him instead. 

"I've only started using my fingers and you're already shaking." 

She couldn't help it. 

He was lightning, where his mouth dipped and soothed, where his fingers drove at- her body's reaction was instantaneous and she couldn't control it any more than one could bottle lightning. It was early- too early for her to have any sort of immunity against him and his sensual assault. She keened- her body wound so tight that she was on the verge of begging and he kept her there- hovering on the very edge of ecstasy while he kept his pace. 

She fisted the bedsheets so tightly that her knuckles turned white. 

It took so much of her willpower, fighting against the mindless bliss his digits were coaxing out of her to grit out just one word. 

"P-Please." 

A weaker woman in her position would have screamed from the frustration of it all. It wasn't right to tease her when she had been nothing but supportive of him and now all she wanted to do was come apart under him. Was that too much to ask for? 

"Patience is a virtue-" he was smirking against her skin when he withdrew his fingers. She mewled; raking her fingers down his back, lips scowling- voicing her protests with her actions as he leaned back to observe his handiwork. She would have done more if her eyes hadn't seen the way the throbbing length between his legs was standing to attention in the light of the day- stiff and leaking at the tip. 

Her mouth went dry and she reluctantly kept still- well as still as she could before he found the compassion in him to drape himself over her. 

He caged her body in between his arms, swiping lovingly at her lower lip with his stained fingers. 

Wasn't it a pity that the world would never get to see this side of Rukia Kuchiki- in bed, debauched, unhinged, wild and almost desperate with the way she kept trying to grind herself against his cock? 

Wasn't it just the loveliest thing in the world to see her covered in the colour of his love, his marks seared so deeply upon her skin that they become part of her, a proud medal of honour with the way his angry red teeth mark circled her breasts and collarbone? 

Ichigo pressed his fingers still coated with her against her lips, growling approvingly as she took them into her mouth, sucking and licking them clean before releasing them with a loud 'plop'. She was close- he could feel it as he looked into her eyes, noting the deep, burning swirl of arousal. 

His gaze trailed low and his fingers followed, darting past the collarbone marked with his lingering love bites and her twin peaks until they reached the lacy hem of her nightgown, pushed up to reveal her dusky-tipped nipples. 

He yanked at it. 

"Take this off!" 

Her body was thrumming, jumping to action with every order that he gave her. For her alacrity she was rewarded with hungry kisses and a dip of his cock just past her nether lips, shallow enough to make her gasp but not nearly enough to keep her satisfied. 

Hazy desires made her wrap her legs around him, digging her heels hard into his back when he wouldn't sheath himself in all the way. 

More. 

She was so desperate for more. 

"Touch yourself." 

" _N-Ngghhh_ -" she reached down with her hands, tweaking at her nipples and trying desperately to pump herself despite knowing full well that her fingers were nowhere as thick as his, not nearly enough to fill the void and assuage her hollow ache. She was dying- her body was shaking and practically convulsing with the way he was denying her pleasure – 

She screamed. 

He slammed himself into her, driving at a pace that was hard, unforgiving and downright animalistic as he gave into lust. She watched in stunned silence as he reached for her legs, draping them over his broad shoulders as though they belonged there. Her flexibility rivaled that of a world-class gymnast as he folded her knees up until they almost touched her ears. 

His name stumbled forth from her lips in broken syllables, sweeter and infinitely more intimate than anything he's ever heard before and he kept his grip around her a little tighter. 

She moaned- overwhelmed with all the sensation flooding her senses. 

It felt so _good_. 

She couldn't think. With every breath she took he drew a little bit more of it away with the way his thrusts seem to hit her at just the right angle. She was so agonizingly close. Sweat gathered at the back of her knees, making his grasp slippery but it didn't seem to faze him with the way his hips were still steadily grounding against hers, the desperation for orgasm flooding her lungs while she fisted at his hair. 

* * *

_Fuck!_

* * *

The walls of her pussy suddenly clenched and he watched in breathless reverence as she fell apart. Her head was thrown back, and she stared up at him- wide-eyed and slack-jawed as every part of her body seized and trembled.

The full force of her orgasm hit her and for fleeting moment, her world was a blur of visions, smudges of colour and the only one thought permeating through her consciousness was him. Her hands sought his face, her cries silenced when he fused his mouth to hers, desperately moving against her as he chased his own high. 

Her walls kept tightening around him, the pressure building and building with nowhere to go- his movement now frantic and wild as he spiraled out of control, alternating between bucking his hips against hers and cursing like a mad man. 

Then his eyes met hers and he irrevocably lost control- 

His spent spilled into her, making her gasp as the sticky fluid trickled. A mixture of them ran down the side of her inner thigh and then staining the bed as he edged himself out of her. She cried out- unhappy at the lack of contact, still hungry for him but placated when sweaty palms gripped her tight. 

Still recovering from his high, he was almost breathless as he pulled her closer towards him, moving to lie on his side, covering her in lazy kisses wherever his mouth could reach. 

Rukia felt boneless in his arms, drew meaningless circles on his cooling skin as they both basked in the afterglow. She almost drifted off to sleep, lulled by the sound of his beating heart when he spoke. 

"Work sucks." 

She snorted. 

"If this is your idea of pillow talk we really need to up your game," she flashed him a wry grin, inching her way forward to rest her chin on his chest. She sighed, "Such a shame after that _amazing_ wake up call." 

His chuckling response to that was followed by him nuzzling his face against hers, blowing hot air at her until she was shrieking from laughter at the tickling sensation. 

"You're the highlight of my day, you know?" 

Her throat tightened- a strange fluttering at the pit of her stomach as she let herself curl by his side, the weight of his hand draped across her middle. 

"I love you too," she whispered. 

He reached over to press a kiss to the crown of her hair and told her to sleep. 

. 

. 

. 

Third time- the third time's the charm. 

And by the time Rukia finally decided to start her day the midday Sun was already breaking through the open blinds. His side of the bed was still warm as she reluctantly pulled herself up from bed when she recognized his voice coming from the kitchen. 

From the pile of discarded clothing on the floor, she managed to fish out her boyfriend's T-shirt from earlier in the morning, foregoing the bra and panties as she hurriedly dressed herself and padded over to the kitchen- the smell of sizzling bacon and egg guiding the way. 

Sunlight was streaming in through the open windows as she stood transfixed. She chuckled, leaning against the door frame of her bedroom as she watched him bustling away in the kitchen. The love of her life dressed in his boxers, flipping eggs like a pro and singing very off-key to the song on the radio. 

It was an old classic and she hardly recognized the lyrics with the horrible way he was butchering the falsetto but her face was hurting so much from smiling. 

* * *

_It'll be all right... When the morning comes…_

* * *

She stood there arms akimbo, wondering how she had stumbled onto this perfect patch of heaven in her very own apartment. Home is where the heart is and her heart- her heart is with this man.

"I think I'm ready." 

Her voice was enough to jolt him out from whatever singing spell he had been placed under. 

"Oh that's great, babe," he smiled, and without skipping a beat, flipped the sunny-side up over, "Ready for what?" 

The man was obviously confused as he regarded her with puzzlement, turning off the stove as he served breakfast. 

"You are not going to make me say _it_ , are you?" 

"Say what?" 

She growled. She loved him to death but this man- he could really kill the mood. Worse still, he better not be playing dumb to make fun of her. 

"You can't be serious," she rolled her eyes. 

"Rukia as much as I love you, you're going to have to be more specific because I have no idea what you're trying to sa-" 

"Damn it Ichigo! I want you to propose to me!" 

* * *

_Oh!_

* * *

She watched as his eyes lit up- the proverbial light bulb moment for him as he mulled over the information he just received. She could literally hear the cogs in his brain turning.

And then- 

" **Oh shit**! Babe, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. Please- I'm just too tired. My head's not screwed on right right now. Please- give me a second-" he ran his hand through his messy hair-"I-I, _Right the ring_ \- where is the ring?" 

He ran into the bedroom and she could hear the sound of drawers being forced open. 

" _Fuck!_ " 

She winced. He must have stubbed his big toe against the armoire. Again. 

It was stupid because the ring wasn't even near the armoire. She knew because he kept it in the sock drawer of all place. 

The woman was just debating whether or not she should cut him some slack and help him out when Ichigo re-emerged, panting and looking way out breath than necessary in the confines of their apartment but was nonetheless present- bright-eyed and eager. 

Rukia reminded herself to keep breathing as he got down on one knee for her- ring at hand. 

"Rukia, moon of my life, I love you. Two years ago I never thought this would be possible. Part of me still doesn't believe that I'm here with you. You are the best thing that ever happened to me- my rock, my person, my everything," he breathed, "I want to spend the rest of my life waking up next to you, bantering with you and making you happy. Please marry me?" 

"Yes!" 

It was a perfect fit- the way the diamond sparkled with promise as though fueled by the love he had for her. Tears streamed down her face- this man, she loved him so much and now – 

He was hers. This beautiful, gorgeous, _hopelessly_ clueless man was hers and she could hardly even breathe as her brain tried to process it all. 

She launched herself at him and he caught her, spinning her in his arms before he kissed her on the lips. She deepened the kiss; wrapping her legs tight around him and feeling so deliriously happy as her arms wound themselves around his shoulder, drawing him in closer, her body reluctant to even be apart from him for even a second. 

He breathed her in deeply as he struggled with the task at hand. Rukia was a handful- literally and figuratively-speaking, a force of nature as she slanted her mouth against his and grabbed at his ass. He groaned. His hands were trying to be everywhere at once, first cradling the back of her head to meet her kisses fully, then tugging the collar of the shirt down to expose more of her shoulder to rain down more kisses there, before pushing up the bottom of the same garment for better access and make sure she didn't slip. 

Dimly she was aware of being carried into the bedroom- limbs being spread apart, arms held above her head and body being laid open on her bed once again as her fiancé eagerly worked his way down her throat. 

She looked good in his clothes. He wasn't going to lie, the idea of her dressed in something of his filled a deep possessive need – but to be perfectly honest, he liked it better when there was nothing on her. And that shirt looked much better on the floor than it ever did on her. 

His gaze was dark and spoke too much, too honestly of his desire for her. She gulped as the shirt finally came off and she was left exposed under him. 

"What about breakfast?" 

" _Fraulein_ ," he was practically purring as he slicked his thumb in her wet slit, beautiful dark eyes gleaming like stars on a pitch black sky, "are you offering?" 

Her breath hitched when his face dipped low, planting kisses on her inner thigh and hovering just above her pearled flesh with his voice huskier than normal. 

"Because you look good enough to eat." 

He delved in- tongue first, sloppy wet noises as he licked, teased and slurped. 

Through the haze, Rukia thought to herself- maybe if she held on hard enough, kissed Ichigo hard enough, let his body sink into hers- deeper, slicker and stronger; maybe the imprint of his soul will stay on hers. The heiress was not superstitious, didn't even have a clear religious belief even but a part of her wanted to believe in the possibilities of a world that comes after, of lifetimes that will come after this short stint in life on this blue planet. 

She wanted to think that there is a possibility of a them, of constancy in the cosmic universe, wanted to believe that there is a them connected by something both intangible yet simple, to find each other lifetimes apart from now because his soul knew hers. 

And no matter the distance, time or space, they would find each other again. 

* * *

_Always._

* * *

They were going to be so happy together. She just knew they would.

_**End.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter is alternatively named the Three Ways to Wake Up on a Sunday Morning and/or Third Time's the Charm (because Rukia said yes to his third proposal). I couldn't decide on which one to open with so you lovely people get all three. I do have other fics lined up after this so follow me on Tumblr if you are interested to hear more?


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